Dragon's Blood
by MissNata13
Summary: Hermione/Draco  Post-war  Hermione finds a jar of Dragon's Blood in her new home that leads to a completely different path anyone would have imagined.
1. Part ONE Chapter 1

**I've had this story in the back of my word files for a while. I decided to post because I'm curious of what you'd think. Please take note it's a Hermione/Draco ship and, off the bat, extremely AU. I hope you give it a chance!  
>Enjoy! <strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter One

Ron had passed.

The grief Hermione felt, concentrated like a heavy metal in her core, was unlike any previous sadness she had ever experience. Her world had suddenly become grim and less magical in a matter of seconds when she received the news. She was with a real estate agent, trying to scope out the various locations were she and Ron were to live after their wedding ceremony. There were plenty of homes within the muggle community but she insisted to make a home near Harry's in Godrics Hollow, in case their future children would ever bore and needed company in the form of cousins. Ron on the other hand was fascinated with the movie theatres and countless of other muggle entertainment and had pleaded to be within a muggle theatre where ever they had chosen to settle in.

_Compromise,_ Hermione thought that morning as she readied herself in a haste to meet with her agent.

Never did she think that all their planning, all her time invested in their future would come to a screeching halt. They had just been engaged a couple of weeks before tragedy struck. This wasn't suppose to happen. Sadness was suppose to take a long vacation after the war was won. There was enough grief due to the aftermath of the war to last a lifetime but the mere fact that the enemy was gone _forever_ was a great compensation for those who were lost.

_But Ron…_

Hermione gritted her teeth and looked away from the coffin that was begin lowered at a slow pace into the earth by magic. For a mere second, Hermione felt outraged.

_Stupid Ron!_

Her eyelids closed tightly, trying to withstand the fury of tears that were spilling over.

Even in his death, Ron had managed to provoke Hermione into her loving hatred of him. Had he really needed to travel to visit Bill's to help out with the Dragons? The thought had worried Hermione. She never doubted Ron's magical abilities nor his abrupt wits during a time of danger but she worried about his carelessness and his poor choice of making jokes out of everything. Hermione even gave him a long speech before he left to Bill's to which his response was a guffaw and a peck on the nose before promising to have Bill cast a protective fire charm on him to lessen her anxiety.

The cause of Ron's actually death something very heroic. Hermione wouldn't be able to reproduce the story in exact detail but she did understand that he was taking care of Victorie, his favorite and only niece. They were playing in the garden when she pulled out a mandrake. Ron, barely having a seconds notice to react the minute he recognized the sprouts of a mandrake plant, rushed his wand out to muffle her ears. Ron didn't have time to cover is own. The cry knocked him out and soon after passed away.

In reality, Hermione was very glad Ron had saved the precious little girl. It was just the luck of the straw that Ron had been able to save her life rather than having to deal with two deaths. Yes, Hermione was hurt but in old fashion she couldn't help but to blame him for leaving her. Who was she suppose to marry after he was gone? What life did she have if she wasn't a Weasley? In a second all her dreams of sharing a bed with a man she loved and cupping the faces of her little freckled-face children were gone.

She wrung the white laced-embroidered handkerchief with her frail hands and glared at the hole where Ron was laid to rest. Molly and Arthur Weasley were holding each other tightly. Ron was being laid next to the grave plot of his brother's, Fred.

The morning of Ron's burial was bright, cheerful, and best of all warm with a cool wind breezing by every so often. Nothing like a burial should be in the movies Ron loved to watch with her. The group surrounding the plot began to disapperate slowly, one by one until only she remained. The dirt was levitated into the air, hovered above Ron's grave and slowly trickled until the hole was filled. A couple of flowers popped up in full bloom in his honor and that was when Hermione collapsed on top of his grave.

She wept.

Hermione's face twisted in pain, letting the sting of tears run down her raw cheeks again. Through out the entire ceremony Hermione had a constant stream of tears to which she had to wipe consistently with her handkerchief to look put together, not frazzled by the shock of her fiancés death.

"_Ron_" She managed to choke out.

She felt helpless and entirely alone. There wasn't anybody that could console her. None of the Weasleys were able to comfort her because the mere sight of red-hair and freckles sent her in a downward spiral of shaky breaths and a knot in her throat that made it impossible to express herself in words.

All Harry did was hug her, which was the most anybody could have done in her condition but even after hours of embracing Harry couldn't stay put in one place forever. He had his wife to attend to. His own _married_ life.

A life Hermione was mentally preparing herself to have before Ron's death.

A sob escaped her lips as Hermione came to the realization that she was surrounded by the constant reminder of him. _His_ family, _their_ mutual friends, the flat _they_ were staying at… even the house that was already in the process of approval. Hermione had to get away. There had to be something to help her heal.

She sat up, half of her hair and black dress covered in dirt. She wiped her face with hands to rid of the wet and she let out a sigh. She knew exactly what she had to do. Hermione looked down at her left hand, admiring the ring Ron had presented to her two years after dating. It was a reasonable jewel. She loved it because the way it shone reminded her of how Ron's face glowed in the middle of a roaring laugh.

That knot in her throat returned as she slipped the ring off and examined it in the sun. It sparkled and created a prism, bursting in colors around her.

She felt her lips turn up, in a weary smile and she stuck her ring in the dirt right beside the grave stone. She buried her ring at the moment as well as all her hopes and dreams with Ron at that moment.

ooo

"I don't understand," Bernadette, the real estate agent, cocked her head, narrowing her eyes at Hermione who sat uncomfortably in the squishy chair placed in front of her desk, "You want to cancel the pending approval of the house?"

Bernadette reminded Hermione of her classmates before Hogwarts; rosy cheeks, heart shaped face, and a rather large pout that only emphasize Bernadette's concern on the matter at hand.

Hermione nodded once, "Yes, there have been some unfortunate circumstances. Um, my fiancé… passed."

Bernadette tried hard to cover up her jaw drop. She quickly wheeled herself around her office trying to look for forms and cancelation fees to overwrite due to the gravity of the situation. Hermione patiently listened to Bernadette as she explain what forms where for what and what page she had to sign to stop the process of buying the house. Bernadette, although deeply moved by the devastation of Hermione's news, couldn't help but to feel upset over a lost sell, something Hermione noticed.

As Hermione sign the last paper, she set the quill down and slumped back into her chair clutching her bag for support. Bernadette, smile at her, thanking Hermione for her time and quickly excused herself to get the forms into her manager.

The moment Hermione was left alone she let out a huge sigh and tilted her head up. It was then when she noticed the multitude of photos that were hung on the wall of Bernadette's tiny office. All of them displaying Bernadette and a family, shaking hands in front of the house that was just sold. Hermione wondered if the fates were different, if she and Ron would be posing for a picture like the one's on the wall in a couple of weeks.

Their home was much like Ron's house and Hermione's house meshed into an ideal home for the both of them. The entire house was wooden and it radiated a homey warm feel. The day she heard of Ron's death was the day she picked the house for both of them, knowing that Ron would love it.

As Hermione drifted into her own mind, she hardly realized she had gotten up to stare at a frame of a house that was available for sale.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione whipped around to find Bernadette looking at her curiously, "May I assist you in anything else."

Hermione didn't say a word. She turned back around to continue looking at the house she was previously staring at. It was a Manor. A huge home. She needed nothing of that sort now that Ron was gone. Even if he was here, Hermione doubted they would be able to have enough children to fill up every single room a manor had to offer.

"How much is it?" Hermione asked, barely audible for Bernadette to catch.

"The Manor, Miss Granger?" She bit her lip, "I'm sorry to say that although it's a great price for a Manor, most people see it too big for their liking most wouldn't know what to do with the space! And it's far away from any civilization. It's almost isolated if it weren't for a handful of houses scattered here and there… It's in Wiltshire on a beaten path between Wilton and Mere. Plus the cost of the repair is remarkable"

Hermione felt her heart lightened. Space? Isolation? Repair? She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Bernadette.

"I would like that house." She nodded.

"Miss Granger…" Bernandette was almost at a lost for words, "But you haven't a clue! Won't you need to see it before you make any rash decisions?"

"I would like to place an approval for that house, if it's not too much trouble." Hermione stated.

"But…"

Hermione smiled. She knew Bernadette was running out of things to say.

"… The price of the Manor is more than double as much as the retail of the former house you were interested in."

"The asking price isn't even in our currency. Five hundred thousand _galleons_." Bernadette sighed, "One galleon is worth more than five pounds possibly but I assure you the problem isn't in the payment method. It's a lot of work for an entire family, let alone one person."

Hermione tilted her head, looking between the photo and Bernadette, "Galleons? Now what's a muggle agency doing handling business with wizard money?"

The real estate agent glanced nervously to the ground, "Yes well… I'm a squib myself. Our business mainly wizarding communities and to prevent going bankrupt, we handle muggle amenities as well."

Hermione looked away feeling the energy being drained away, preventing her to probe into Bernadette's business, "I want it… I want _out_."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll take it." Hermione announced.

"Are you sure?"

"Have any wizarding families lived there prior to myself?"

"Partially. The Tonk's family was the last to live there before giving birth to a muggle-born Wizard. They moved into the city shortly after the boy was born. They were the last owners who had occupied the space… over 80 years ago." Bernadette said, clinging on to a small hope that Hermione would hate the fact she was about to move into an almost muggle abandoned house.

"Perfect." She sighed.

Bernadette looked positively shocked as Hermione asked for the papers, to progress the approval and hasten the time to move into her new home.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude but…" Bernadette bit her lip, "Do you have the kind of _money_ for this Miss Granger?"

Hermione shrugged, "I have more than enough to last me a two life times."

And with that she left the Agency with a couple of forms in her hands and with a lighter mood than she was before.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think and if I should continue!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your response! For the reviews AND the flood of story alerts you have place this story in. I'm very excited now to post the entire story up now just to hear your opinions! Anyways, I didn't expect to be updating soon but here it is! **I should be updating once again Friday, so hang on until then. ****

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Two

Hermione stared down the Manor she had just purchased. She stood underneath an umbrella Bernadette was holding out for the both of them as they looked up at the manor, sizing it up to it's poor expectations. It didn't help having a grey wet background that nearly concealed a big grey manor. The drizzling rain was enough to soak them completely in a matter for some minutes… if you were standing at the edge of any cover to receive the concentration of water. Hermione hugged herself, shivering slightly, prying her open to withstand the drops of rain that sporadically attacked her lids.

"And if there's anything you need," Bernadette clear her throat, "Please do not hesitate to call. Here are your keys…"

She took out the most elaborate, chunky, and rusted looking keys she's ever saw and handed her the last things Hermione need to move in. As Hermione reached for them a picture was taken, and soon enough, Bernadette and her photographer congratulated her and were off on their way. Hermione watched them climb into the beat up taxi car and speed off as she braced herself jogging up the path up to her manor. It was difficult to find a clear path when the entire front garden was over grown and dried out, despite the spring season. Hermione reach her front door and fortunately enough, found the right key on her first try and allow herself in.

ooo

The first night, Hermione bundled herself up beside the fireplace in the ballroom she planned to work on first thing tomorrow. The fireplace was enormous. It stretched out twice the height of Hermione and possibly three times her height for the length of the fireplace. Moments before, Hermione used her wand to light a fire which was kept under control by a simple charm so the Ballroom wouldn't get too hot or too bright.

The fire crackled and popped as Hermione pulled the comforter tighter around herself, scooting closer to the fire.

_"There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness. And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces."_

Hermione read out loud to herself, clutching onto an old copy of Moby Dick. She frown and reread the paragraph softly to herself again. "_There is a wisdom that is woe…_"

Hermione pursed her lips and closed the book, inserting her index finger in the pages as a temporary bookmark. She looked around at the room she was sitting in. It had taken her several hours to have a brief run through of her own house. Exactly ten spacious rooms, a study with a library full of books like the one she was reading, a rather unnecessary large kitchen, an even more unnecessary large dining room, the entrance which housed a staircase that split at the very top and curve away from each other and reached the ground floor in an open mouth fashion, a conservatory that seemed like it was made of entirely out of glass, and the ballroom that Hermione was currently enjoying the fireplace to read a couple of pages of a book. As she gathered her findings of the Manor, she concluded that Bernadette was right; the house was a very large task for any normal family.

Hermione by her lonesome was not a family, but normal she was not.

She was confident with a little magic she will be able to ease the amount of work she needed to put into this Manor.

_If Ron could see me now… _

Hermione felt a bittersweet smile stretch over her face. No doubt he would have killed her for spending a fraction of her earnings on a place like this and living by herself, but that's exactly what she needed. A manor was so far into the extreme of what she was used to. She was used to warm homes, filled with family and friends, laughter and chatter. The last things she wanted was to return to an ambient that caused her so much grief. She needed to breathe. She needed to hide. But most importantly she needed to detach herself from a dream that was impossible to achieve anymore. Although the Weasley's will always consider her as part of the family, without Ron she felt a bit alienated from everyone. How was is possible to related to every single one of them when her lifeline to them was gone?

She didn't want to be reminded that she was alone, although, it just so happens that the Manor echoed with every shuffle, every cough, every tiny movement she made as a constant reminder that she was, in fact, _very _alone. Hermione huffed and shook her head.

_Some trade…_

Despite the drastic change in her life Hermione felt at peace in her own space. Hermione understood how abrupt and irrational she sounded when she announced she had found a home for herself in Wiltshire. And despite how outraged Harry was, Arthur and Molly were supportive of her and the others reluctantly follow suit. Ginny constantly bugged her to see if she could drop by but Hermione assured the minute she was done fixing up her place she would be glad to have everyone over.

And she intended to keep her promise.

Although she did keep out that the amount of work could take days, possibly weeks, Hermione wasn't bothered by it. She purposely promise Ginny because she knew it would take her that long to tidy up the place and because she needed her space and time before testing the waters again.

Hermione knew upon seeing the sea of red hair pouring into her house she would instinctively look for Ron's face. She wouldn't be able to help herself and upon realizing her mistake, she might just be set in another downward spiral. Hermione sighed and opened up her book again, this time to another page. She had read Moby Dick several times as a child she didn't have the energy to read through it all once more but she did love reading snippets to remind herself of the essence of the tale.

_"How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends. Man and wife…"_ Hermione stared at the words for a brief second before continuing on,_ "…they say, there open the very bottom of their souls to each other; and some old couples often lie and chat over old times till nearly morning. Thus, then, in our hearts' honeymoon, lay I and Queequeg—a cosy, loving pair."_

Hermione slammed the book shut and lightly tossed it aside. She tried very hard to ignore the bare feeling on her ring finger on her left hand. She was sure if she checked, there would be a band around it of light skin to further remind her that she was indeed in this position. Hermione fiddled with her hands, more specifically with her ringer finger and let out an exhausted sigh. In a split second the roaring fire was hissed into a black smoke, and Hermione left her spot near the fireplace to drag in a mattress she had de-bugged, cleaned, and manually dusted by hitting it with a broom she found lying around. The comforter she had wrapped around herself was the only possession she brought into the house besides her clothes and her wand. It's the only thing she thought of bringing because anything else had a heavy connection to Ron, even the ring. She flopped down to the floor and sighed. She pointed her wand to the large window, one of the many in a row, and had it's curtain drawn back slightly to let a peak of the moonlight in. Tomorrow would be a new beginning.  
>Tomorrow she would be Hermione Granger again.<p>

ooo

Hermione woke up before the sun rose; ready to begin the massive clean up. It was yet another dreamless night, as if all her body did was shut down like the computers she used to use in school before Hogwarts. It bothered her at first, not to dream. The only trauma in her life was to blame for to black nights she hat but in the few weeks she stopped dreaming, she had grown used to it. She figured that there wasn't much to dream for anyways. The world was right and Ron was gone. What else was there to hope for?

Hermione placed her hands on her waist, scanning the room and figuring a plan of attack. She cleared the Ballroom of any random furniture covered in plastic and set it aside. The furniture scrapped the floor loudly, cause them to streak the floor from the dust that has collected over decades. Curiously, Hermione swept the dirty floor with her sock and, much to her surprise, revealed what looked like black crystal marble flooring. With a flick of the wand all the dust had been removed, leaving a cloud of dust in the air, causing Hermione to cough and sputter.

"Alright… let's see." Hermione said to herself, "_Aguamenti!_"

Water poured out of Hermione's wand, she grabbed a mop and scrubbed the floor with her own hands. Most of the left over dirt was removed to reveal the most onyx look marble Hermione's ever seen. Delighted at the beauty of the flooring she stopped herself before she cleaned the entire area. She knew better than getting carried away when there are other things to attend to.

_A floor should always be the last to clean…_

Hermione nodded to herself and looked for another task to concentrate on. Lucky enough, there was more than enough work to do other than mopping; the problem was what to chose?

Hermione's eyes landed on the curtains and decided, no matter what, she was going try to restore them. They looked beyond repair, frayed, and sun damaged but she truly believed they were worth the salvage.

Another flick of the wand and, in domino effect, each of the five curtains came billowing down to the floor, causing another cloud of dust to poof up into the air.

Hermione covered her face, coughing. She fanned the air to give herself a breathing space and when the dust had settled Hermione looked outside. The sun was just about to rise and Hermione had a beautiful view of the morning light. She approached the window and dreamily rested her arms on the sill, admiring the view she had.

Upon the beaten path her Manor was located on, she could see from far off a couple, walking past. She perked up and watched them. The stranger somehow sensed her presence because a few seconds later, they paused and glanced towards her direction. Hermione lifted her upper body off the windowsill and stared back. It was bold of her and in her thoughts she had decided against it but despite her rational mind, Hermione_ irrationally_ waved at the stranger, who surprisingly (and quite possible confusedly) waved back before continuing on his way.

ooo

**_Ginny,_**

**_I have received all of your owls. Please trust in me when I say that I have not been ignoring you or anybody at that. I've been extremely busy trying to tidy up the place a bit. You'd be surprise at how big this place is. I know it's taking me a while but I swear I haven't been isolating myself. I've talked to the neighbor's gardener and have been a regular at the Teashop out by the outskirts of Mere two miles away. You have every right to be worried about me but please understand that I'm working on myself and I refused to be bedbound for months grieving in the most sadistic way that Ron would disapprove. I'm sure he would encourage me to pour my heart into something instead of wasting away. But then again, knowing your brother, he would have selfishly say something along the lines of "Of course I want you to grieve over me, 'Mione! What kind of girlfriend would you be if you didn't at least swallow yourself in sorrow and self-pity over my sudden death?" _**

**_I smile when I think of him. _**

**_You'd be surprise of how often I don't think of him. It's not because I'm over his death. I'm so preoccupied trying to fix the house up quickly that I don't have time to pause and think if Ronald would have liked this Manor or if he would have prefer the other house he never had a chance to see. I suppose I have hope that upon fixing this house up, in turn, I could help fix myself up. Reconstruct myself inside out. I don't mean to sound harsh but with the passing of your brother also came the death of my future with him. I know I will always have a family within the Weasley Family but you must understand and I must learn that in the future that won't be the case. If I should ever met someone as great as Ron or something close to him, I will try to begin a new chapter with him. I know it hurts to think of it now, which is why I'm avoiding it, but they are question I must answer when the appropriate time comes.  
>I hear you and Harry might be expecting. Details.<em>**

**_-'Mione_**

Hermione set her quill down and dripped a bit of wax on to seal her letter. She smiled in content at the letter she had written to Ginny hoping to have the stream of letters die down for a while. It's been two weeks since she's been away and it seems like they are still stuck on day one. Hermione rolled up her trousers and jumped into some slippers to make her way out to the stonewall out in the front yard. For the past couple of days Hermione had noticed an owl perched on a post just within reach. She was sure it was one of the Weasley owls waiting for a parcel to take back home. Hermione reach out to pet the owl. The bird hooted contently and closed its eyes in satisfaction of a gentle touch.

"Some weather we got here, don't we Pigwidgeon?" Hermione cooed, looking up at the cloudy sky, "Hardly any days with sun."

_"Is that what you're up to these days Granger? Talking to owls?"_

Hermione was startled at the voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. It was somewhat recognizable that she almost fooled herself to believe it might have been Ron's but upon scanning her surroundings she found an old foe she never thought she would seem much of again.

"Malfoy?" Hermione narrowed her eyes instinctively, "What are_ you _doing here?"

* * *

><p><strong>Surprised? Ha, I think not. I'm sure you all expected him to pop up soon. Tell me what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

****So, it's technically Friday. If you're reading the moment I updated... Good Morning. If you live in another country, oceans away, umm good afternoon/night? Yes! I have a QUICK NOTE which I will be at the END of the chapter!****

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Three

ooo

Hermione nearly kicked herself for confusing Malfoy with Ronald. She was sure that was a brutal mistake to compare the two and even a _fatal _blow to her ego to mistaken Malfoy for Ron.

The pair stared each other down until Hermione broke it off to tie her letter on Pigwedgeon's leg. The owl immediately took off the moment the last knot was made on its leg. Having a hard time concentrating, Hermione avert her attention to Pigwedgeon, watching her fly away until the tiny dot was difficult to track. In the duration of Hermione's staring contest with the sky, Draco stood there slightly amused at the display in front of him. Soon after, Hermione whisked up her pride and very tight-lipped excused herself from Malfoy and wished him a _good_ day. It took a high amount of will power to not punch him in square in the face for good old time sake that it even surprised Hermione how tolerable she had become with intolerable people.

The ending of the war wasn't enough to end some animosities some wizards felt for others. There were plenty of deaths and attacks to allow the beginnings of grudges against families but none were as deeply rooted as the Trio had against Draco Malfoy, the spoiled brat with dark ties.

"What are you doing down here?" Draco asked in curiosity more than a probing interrogator.

"None of your business." Hermione yelled out to him as she walked away.

"I mean, why are you on _my_ property?" He yelled out to Hermione who was quickly approaching her front door.

Hermione whipped right around and carefully approached him, "I bought this place and it is rightfully mine. What makes you think that you own this?"

Draco shrugged, "Well is was… It was Theodore Tonk's birth home, father of Nymphadora Tonks. I'm sure you remember-"

"Of course I remember!" Hermione snapped.

Draco pause and crossed his arms, "Her father brought the house back later in his years, meant to fix it up and give it to his wife, my aunt, but he never did. He never mention the Manor in his will and I suppose my aunt never knew much about to mention it on her will. It landed in my hands."

Hermione glared at him, "Anything belonging to Andromeda is by default her grandson's, Teddy."

Draco shrugged, "I didn't want it anyway so I gave up the property. I claim it by habit, not because I'm territorial, Granger. I'm surprise you have enough money to buy yourself a dump like this."

Hermione scowled, "You're lucky I left my wand inside."

"Ah, _unarmed_ I see…"

Hermione glared and stormed away, making sure that her magical middle finger was high in the air for Draco to see.

"You know the war is long over Granger." Draco yelled out causing Hermione to stop dead in her tracks.

"War might be over but old habits are hard to break." Hermione yelled back.

"And it seems like some memories don't seem to fade." He added to her statement, "I know I've been less that civil…"

"Less than civil?" Hermione questioned lividly. There was nothing Hermione wanted more than ball up her fist and aim at Draco square in the face but she restrained herself. "What are you doing here?" She managed to breath out.

"I live around here…" Draco knitted his brows together, "I've moved out here with my partner."

"Partner?" Hermione darted her eyes around, trying to recall if she ever heard of Draco tying the knot, "I didn't know you were married."

"Married? Oh god no." Draco scoffed.

"I haven't heard you moved in with Parkinson." Hermione corrected.

"Wrong, yet again." Draco gave her a smug look.

"Then who?" The girl stuck out her hip and crossed her arms, inquisitively

Draco stuck his hands in his pockets and continued on his walk, "Never did I see the day when Granger would be positively interested in who I was seeing."

Hermione pressed her lips together, forming a thin line. She could feel her face redden as she fumed and marched back inside her manor. She pulled on the giant knobs of the heavyset doors and slammed the shut behind her.

She immediately crossed her arms and began to pace around, muttering under her breath how stupid she was going out into the open without her wand. Speaking of her wand, Hermione quickly dash into the Kitchen where she had just finished having magicked a couple of cleaning brushes scrub the floors, ridding them of their grime. Hermione launched herself to the kitchen table, where her wand was still in respectable place she had last left it.

"_Protego Totalum… Salvio Hexia."_ Hermione chanted, casting protective charms around her home.

She had no idea why she felt threaten. Hermione wasn't even sure if it was threat that she had running through her veins. Perhaps fear? She gulped and continued casting a protective layer. The last time she had used them, she thought, was during the hunt for the horcruxes with Harry and Ron…

Hermione's eyes widen as she felt a terrible pain in her chest. Her wand flew from her hand she slapped it on her mouth to muffle a sob. She sank to the floor slowly, only a bit thankful that she had it scrubbed earlier on, and used a study leg of the table to hang on to. Hermione pressed her face into the wooden leg in hope to try to suppress the pain she was feeling to stop her from crying.

ooo

_Tears._

Hermione couldn't avoid them for the following days. In a matter of a day Hermione went from magic labor to manual labor in hope to scrub, cleanse, dust, rinse, sweep, scour, unclutter, and wash out the pain that was producing these tears. It seemed unbelievable to Hermione that she almost blamed Draco for somehow creating a loophole through her protective charms and hexed her with an endless amount of tears. The rawness of her cheeks was due to the fact that even skin gets tired of being wet all the time. They were irritated just as Hermione was as she poured herself into distractions of fixing up the Manor to get her mind off things.

Time was hard to keep up with. Sometimes Hermione would sleep well into the night and wake up while it was still dark, never knowing if she had slept for a couple of minutes or through the whole day. The dreamless sleeps were hard to calculate the amount of time she had rested. Still, she never did much to take care of herself and the thought had never occurred to her until one day while Hermione was weeding out the front lawn and Malfoy strolled by with a slim pouty girl linked herself to his elbow which he offered quite proudly.

Hermione paused and craned her neck over the wildly over grown hedge she was working behind of. Their small chatter and slow pace of crunching footsteps had caught Hermione's attention. Immediately, upon seeing what she assumed was Draco's partner, she felt inferiorly dirty. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand to wipe off the last of the tears, leaving streaks of mud and bits of leaves behind. Hermione looked down at herself, she had tucked in the paint splattered overalls into work boots that she had found lying around and charm to fit her feet, and what used to be a white long sleeved shirt.

She looked like a haggard mess compared to the picture of duo-perfection that happened to stroll right on by. Hermione frowned and took one more looked at the couple passing by only to be caught by Malfoy trying to steal a peek from behind the hedges. Hermione let out a small squeal in being caught and quickly hid herself, sinking to her knees trying to contain the bit of fear that pinpricked at her center. A few seconds past by and nothing happened.

Hermione wasn't sure what she had expected to happen but she had imagined along the lines of having another confrontation with Malfoy. Hermione puckered up the courage to peek once more, just out of curiosity. She found that Draco had not giving her much thought because he was now about 10 meters away, still chatting away with his partner. Hermione relaxed and quite suddenly burst into laughter.

It certainly confused her but she was exhilarated she had began to feel something rather different than the tears she has been experiencing for the past several days. She held her stomach as she tried to get back to her feet. A giggle escaped her lips. Hermione struggled to take a couple of steps towards her doors. She snorted. The minute she was within the walls of her home a maniacal laughter ensued cause her to crunch up into a small ball into she was back on the ground with her stomach and cheeks aching.

Just then, Pigwidgeon swooped in and delivered a letter.

ooo

"**_Dearest Hermione,_**" Hermione read out loud.

"**_I won't hesitate to tell you that it deeply saddens me to know that you will never be officially a Weasley. Leave it to my dumb brother to be a hero. I kid of course. What he did was a very valiant thing to do and we should be proud of him. But I can't help thinking that my little niece was to cause for this. I know it's not a very good mentality to have. The poor girl knows her favorite uncle not around and it's destroying to see her walk in to my parents house calling out for Ron, as if he was hiding up in his old room. Victorie doesn't understand but she knows something is wrong. How do you explain death to a three year old? It's simply impossible having them to comprehend something that sometimes we don't understand ourselves. We know how to comfort her for the mean time. It's easy to stop a little girl from crying._**

**_I don't know how to comfort you._**

**_'Mione, I am always at a lost of words when I think of what you might be going through. I couldn't imagine Harry truly gone even when he was for a bit during the final war and even thinking about it brings me an unimaginable numbness. Still, I know that I remind you of Ron and reminders is possibly the last thing you need for your recovery but you need someone to be there, 'Mione, so you don't go completely mad. I'll change my hair color for the stay and fortunately enough I'll be over in a week or two to visit you for a couple of days. It's in times like these when you can't possibly stand to be alone. I need you as much as you need me. Please Hemione, can I know your true location now? _**

**_And who told you I was pregnant? _**

**_Ginny._**"

Hermione folded up the latter and set it aside the side table beside the bath she was currently soaking in. Hermione had taken the letter the moment Pigwidgeon had delivered it and ran upstairs to prepare herself a warm soothing bath. Hermione hardly took much of them, but considering how she felt like a spineless invertebrate floating around in the warmth of bubbles and lavender, she might just pamper herself weekly with a bath. After all, she needed some thing to help her truly relax and Hermione believed there was nothing better than to soak herself.

She inhaled the scent of lavender and sunk in deeper into the bath letting the calming effect of lavender take its place. Perhaps after she was done with the bath she would reply to Ginny. Or maybe tomorrow morning…

Or maybe…

Hermione tilted her head back, resting it on the edge of the tub. It didn't matter. Hermione was done cleaning for the day and it was now time to concentrate of cleansing herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, sooo I just want to warn you that I take an extraordinarily long time for things to "happen" if you catch my drift. Some like it, some don't. Personally, I have a lovehate relationship with it. Hate reading it... but love writing it. Go figure.**

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait but here you go! I hope you really like this chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Four

ooo

**Sunday-Friday: **

7:00am-11:59pm- Breakfast/Garden Work

12:00pm- 2:59pm- Indoor work/first floor/lunch

3:00pm-5:59pm- Indoor work/second floor/coffee

6:00pm-8:59- Indoor work/attic/dinner.

9:00-10:29- Hermione time.

10:30-6:59- Sleep

**Saturday:**

Whatever you heart _desires…_

Hermione stepped out of the fabric store on to the sidewalk of Mere, holding rolls of a rich burgundy red color to make a tablecloth with and perhaps some decorative pillows out of the leftover scraps. Quite content with her purchase, Hermione reevaluated the progress she had made on the Manor. The curtains in the ballroom were now restored to its former handsome self, all the moth-eaten upholstery was gently refurbished, and the mold-stained rugs were washed down until their long lost color was brought back to life. She had been shopping like a mad woman, in manor sake, for the past several Saturdays given that she gives herself the time off to relax. Hermione came to realization weeks ago that there was nothing like retail therapy to help her see that vision again of what her final product should be like. Hermione looked around to see if there were any prodding eyes up or down the sidewalk of the shopping streets. There was not a single soul around except for a couple window shopping several meters away but for extra measure, Hermione slipped into the next alley she found. The rolls that were gripped under her arm was shoved into her small handbag and she closed it with a click of the clasp. Satisfied that her weekly shopping spree was now tuck safely away in her tiny handbag, Hermione gave a triumphant nodded and stepped out into the sidewalks again.

She was on her way to another store but the sight of Teddy's Teashop, the place she had mention to Ginny a while back, made her stop in her tracks. She started at it for a moment, biting her lip, wondering whether to enter or not. It wasn't a difficult to decision to mull over but she wasn't sure if she should have gone until she took her first step inside the shop. Hermione let the welcomed warmth sink in her like a scented bath. It was a small business. There was only room for three small tables that were almost always empty. Occasionally one or two regular people were seen sitting down but mostly people came in and out happy with a cup of tea in their hands.

There was something about Teddy's cup of tea that brightened up her spirits for the day. Hermione was suspicious of the owner, who she secretly thought might be a wizard. There wasn't a person she knew that could brew cups to help a customer through the day.

_Potions,_ Hermione thought. He had to be knowledgeable in potions.

Hermione had stood there, staring at the shop's menu as a family passed her out the door, each of them clutching on to their very own cup.

What should she get…

Teddy, the owner, leaned over the counter beaming at her as if he was more than happy that she had presented herself again.

_"Granger… You again? What a coincidence to find you here."_

Hermione directed her vision off the menu and to the cramped three tables where Malfoy was sipping on a coffee cup, reading the Daily Prophet. He peered over the edge of the paper and raised his white blonde eyebrows.

"I never imagine I'd ever bump into you here." He set the paper down and leaned against the table, "What brings you here?"

Draco looked immensely interested which Hermione mistaken as a bit sarcastic. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes. She pivoted on the heel of her right foot and stalked out. Surely there were better things to do than to grab a cup of tea and having to stand Draco pretend he was civil.

The girl dodged in and out of the slow pedestrian traffic, trying to lose Draco in case he got the strangest idea of following her. Fortunately for Hermione, Draco did none of that sort. She looked over her shoulder for extra measure to see if he was chasing after her and to her relief, he wasn't. Still unsure, Hermione slipped into the next store she saw, a local grocery store. Hermione anxiously looked outside the panel of windows and waited to see that familiar Blonde past by, in search for her.

"Welcome to Greg's Groceries. Can I _help _you?"

Hermione turned to see a teenage girl stick out her hip from underneath the uniform apron she wore. She had a round rosy face and had a pudginess to her neck that it somewhat remind her if Pansy Parkinson and Harry's cousin Dudley were to ever mate they would produce the girl that was giving her death glare at the moment.

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded, "Um… where are the shopping baskets?"

The girl have her a curious look and pointed at her.

"They're right next to you. There's a sale on the milk today." She said with a roll of her eyes and left to her checkout register.

Hermione felt her face redden, mentally scolding herself, as she picked up a shopping basket and walked around.

She weaved in and out of the aisle. There wasn't much that Hermione had placed in her basket to buy. She wasn't eating much anyways and there was plenty of food that she's gotten owl deliveries over the past month from friends and (would have been) family that a lot has remained untouched. Hermione chuckled at the thought that they may have been cooking with Ron in mind seeing as the portions were large enough for three Ron-sized plates and many of them were Ron's favorite foods (but then again, Ron love food period). Hermione walked up and down the aisle lazily and not looking for much in particular.

She would grab two different brands of cake mix and scan the box, as if she were truly interested in purchasing. She compared the nutritional value, blindly weighed the boxes using her arms as scales. Then, when it seemed like Hermione discovered with brand outweighed the other in positives, she placed both items back on the shelves and continued on her way.

As she reached the last aisle she glanced down at her basket and noticed that nothing correlated with each other. She had a bag of pears, a can opener, pink cake frosting, laundry soap, and a scented candle. Hermione stared at her items and considered placing them all back and walking out but she decided against it. She quickly went through the entire aisles again and grabbed some canned foods, a cake mix, more fruits and some vegetables, and another two candles. By the time Hermione approved of her basket she wish she could have used magic to help her with the weight that she was dragging around. She frowned and waddled over to the only available register. Hermione wasn't excited to see Dudley's and Pansy's possible teenage daughter staring her down. She inhaled a sharp breath of air and accepted her fate and had her check her out. While she was scanning the items Hermione noticed a box of teabags that had been abandon on the rack of chocolate and sweets. Without thinking Hermione tossed it into the scanning items and paid her due, before taking off with an armful of groceries to carry out.

It was then when Hermione regretted dodging into the grocery store to hid into. The moment she stepped out she stood underneath the store's entrance over covering, watching the curtain of water storm around her. There was no way Hermione could use magic to her advantage without having a witnesses behind her in the store and there was no way she could run out into the rain without ruining her groceries. She stood there hopelessly and clung on to a small wish that the rain would stop soon. The weather was fickle, _sometimes_…

_"C'mon Granger. Follow me."_

Hermione looked to her side to find Malfoy using an umbrella as a supportive cane. She hesitated when Draco open up the rather large umbrella and stepped out into the rain. She should have questioned how he found her and why it seemed like he was following her but she remained mute, as she looked him up and down.

Hermione quickly noticed that the small puddled of water on the sidewalk seemed to be shoved aside by an invisible barrier, leaving Malfoy's sleek leather shoes and crisp black trousers completely dry.

She caved in, seeing as she couldn't really speak and refuse to go along with him. Plus, he hadn't even asked. He just suggested, no, he _demanded_ Hermione to follow him. There was not . She had no idea why she felt like she had betrayed more than her trust but the rest of the world by accepting Draco's gesture, but there was nothing much she couldn't have done.

Stand there and ignore him?

Hermione thought about her decision as she found herself walking slowly with Draco as he tentatively looked down at her. Now that she thought about it, she _could have _done just that.

They continued to walk down the sidewalk, which was now abandon and clear of any muggles. Draco didn't say a word and Hermione kept herself entertained at the magic going on at their feet. Not a single drop had landed on her even when the rain was falling diagonally. She felt a smile spread on her face.

_Quite clever, _she thought, trying to hide the fact that she was impressed that Malfoy had done something uniquely useful with magic.

They walked down the beaten dirt path that was long forgotten in Mere. Not many took that path anymore to Wilton dude to a straighter and smoother road but it was Hermione's path to her manor and she loved it. Most of the path was fields and hills of grass and if one looked into the distance, they could spot out a tiny house smack in the middle of the fields with a puff of smoke drifting from the chimney. On sunny days, the farmer's took their sheep out for a walk and even at times when Hermione was working indoors, she could hear them calling as they pass by.

"What are you thinking about?" Malfoy asked.

"Sheep," Hermione said simply, not wanting to get too personal with him just yet. Hermione was sure he'd be quite offended if he knew that she was thinking of ignoring him back there.

Malfoy cocked his head but didn't push further. Instead, he shifted the lack of conversation elsewhere.

"I heard…" He began.

Hermione finally took her sight off her feet and directed it up to Draco's face.

"Ron's death?" She questioned.

"Uh, yeah." Draco replied uneasily, "Very unfortunate to hear."

Hermione slowed her walk to a stop. She handed Malfoy her grocery bags and unshouldered her bag to open it. She took out her wand and pointed it at Malfoy who was very unsure what he got himself into.

"_Decresplitudo._" Hermione tapped the grocery bags that popped into a hand sized miniature figure. Draco watched Hermione intently as she carefully place her grocery bags into her handbag and shoulder it once again.

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "Very unfortunate."

Draco relaxed, as Hermione resumed to walk again, "Is that why you moved all the way out here? To escape?"

Hermione shrugged, "I suppose so."

Draco stopped suddenly, reaching out for Hermione's shoulder to stop her.

"Listen Granger, I'm _worried_ for you." Draco said with a caring look.

Hermione's face split into a smile, "Now why would someone like you be worried over a mudblood like me?"

Draco groaned, "Can we get past that? I have a debt. I owe you my life."

Hermione froze, "What on _earth _did I do to make you think you owe me something?"

Draco gave her a perplexed look, "Fiendfyre? You could have easily left me to die after…"

Hermione held out her arms, holding Draco's sides, "Listen, you don't owe me anything, understood? Nor do you have the right to use that as an excuse to be kind. If you don't like me, it's fine. You don't have to pretend to care after saving you. I rather you be honest and cruel than pretend to care… which I find more cruel. Besides, it was Harry that saved you. Not me."

"Take it as a Pureblood taking care of another Purebloods ex-wife." Draco nodded.

Hermione frowned, "We were never married… engaged to be, actually."

Draco pressed his lips together and cleared his throat, "I see."

"And why would you care to look after me," Hermione knitted her brows together, "It's not like you took much liking to Ron.'

Draco shrugged, "How could you like someone who eats twice his weight everyday? Can't be much food left for everyone else."

Hermione cracked a smile and let out a chuckle. Unfortunately, it was accompanied by tears that threatening to overflow. Hermione tried to gulp in hopes that it would aid to stop her tears: it only delayed them by a fraction of a second before they spilled down her cheek and Hermione's bright face crumbled into anguish.

Draco, unsure of what to do, stood there. He witnessed Hermione's knee buckle, about to sink to the dirt ground but he took action and took her up in his arms before she let herself go. Hermione stuffed her face in her hands as Draco mumbled an incantation allowing the umbrella to float on its own so Draco would be able to carry Hermione with two free arms. Draco wasn't every fond of having her wail in his ear but he suppose it was the consequence of having to lightly joke on a very tender subject. It was too soon.

The walk to Hermione's Manor took two seconds to reach as opposed to the thirty minute walk they had left. Draco had apparated near the neighbor's cottage and took the few steps up the road to the Manor, rounding the puddles that were forming on the path up to her front doors.

Upon arrival, Draco efficiently unlocked the door and took the liberty to climb the stairs to find a single lit room where he assumed Hermione was sleeping in.

He had checked out the Manor many times before when it was in his hands. Draco knew the value of it but simply did not have the time or the effort to restore it, so he sold it to take it off his hands. To Draco's surprise, the room was astonishingly tidy and clean, as if one had simply turned the clock around and reversed the effects of aging on every single item in the room. Even the smell of dust and rot was absent, while the rest of the Manor was reeking of the odor. He had no idea how Hermione could stand the smell.

The walls were painted a tiffany blue while the intricate moldings were restored to their bright golden color. Her bed large and overly intricate like the rest of the room, looked fluffy and comforting. Draco approached the side of the bed and gently laid her down. Hermione instinctively curled into a ball the moment she was out of Draco's arms.

She squeezed her eyes tightly and, thankfully, fell asleep right away.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally some interaction between them eh?<strong>

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you, thank you, thank _you!_ I thank all of you who have reviewed and given me feedback! I'm very surprised to see some of my old readers reviewing this. It warms my heart and to those who are new, I give you a virtual hug for taking time to leave your thoughts. I really appreciated it! Insert smiley face. Yes, moving on! So I have something to admit but I think you should read this chapter first!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Five

ooo

When Hermione woke, she struggled to crack open her eyes. Her hands found her eyes and felt that her eyes were nearly glued shut from a crust that was caked on her lids. Hermione gently rubbed it off and squinted to scan her surroundings. The nightfall was apparent through the windows and there were several candles lit up that Hermione had just purchased that very same day.

_Malfoy_, she thought. Hermione took in a staggered breath and looked down. There was a pillow soaked in wetness. It wasn't difficult to guess she was the culprit of that unfortunate sight. Hermione tossed the pillow to the side and scooted over to the edge of her bed to hop off on to the floor.

Hermione yawned and stretched.

"Oh good, you're up." He said, pushing the door with his back and entering with a teakettle and two teacups.

Hermione startled, let out a yelp. She clapped her hands over her mouth and stomped her foot on the ground in annoyance when reality sunk in. Draco walked over, placing the kettle down on her nightstand head, and let out a relieved sigh. Hermione eyed him. In a way, she felt slightly disappointed knowing that despite her protective charms, Draco was still able to enter her home without a single scratch on his face. That debunked Hermione's hopeful assumptions that Draco was up to no good. Her ego deflated as she came to the realization.

"Draco!" She hissed, "What on earth are you doing here?"

He looked at her as if it was the most obvious thing, "You wouldn't think I would leave you in that sort of state, would you?"

Hermione shook her head, "But staying for hours? It must be getting close to nine already! You have to go! Now!"

"It's eleven," He corrected, "And if you think your crying fit was _only_ hours, then you're severely mistaken."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, quickly forgetting that the last thing she wanted was to be in the presence of a Malfoy.

"You've been sleeping and crying for the past two days." Draco waved the cups around in the air for dramatic effect. He then poured the boiling water into the teacups, preparing tea for the both of them.

"Two _days_?" Hermione repeated in a daze, "You stayed for two _days_?"

"Do you really think I would leave anyone so helpless to fend for themselves?" Draco shook his head, "Here drink up. I'm making a soup too. You haven't been eating much, have you?"

Hermione crossed her arms defensively, "I have!"

Draco smirked as he poured a cup of tea, "Then explain all the untouched food in the kitchen? Bet Ron would've had a field day…"

He tapered off, cringingly slightly at his stupidity to mention Ron again. Hermione cracked a smile. Draco eyed her carefully and cocked his head as he handed Hermione her tea.

"No tears this time?" He asked.

Hermione sniffed sheepishly and shrugged, "I suppose not."

"Strange," Draco mused, "You would think a similar joke would trigger the same response."

Hermione wearily smiled, "Since when has Draco been the observational type?"

He didn't answer he simply stared at her, in case she was lying and was desperately trying to hide another wave of tears. He noted that Hermione looked relaxed, haggard looking still but he hoped those were signs that indicated she was far from crying.

"I appreciate that you've been kind, Malfoy," Hermione began, "But it's really unnecessary. I couldn't imagine what your partner is saying at the moment."

Draco shrugged, "Astoria? She isn't here. She'll be back in a week."

Hermione slowly nodded. So the mysterious girl Draco was walking with that one day was Astoria…

"Greengrass?" Hermione said before she could stop herself.

Draco smiled, "Yes."

"So you didn't end up with Pansy Parkinson." Hermione cleared up to herself.

Draco make a revolting face, "Oh god no, that girl turned out to be a big mistake."

Hermione's eyebrows rose, "Is that so? I could have told you that… ten years ago."

Draco chuckled, "Really?"  
>"Uh-huh." Hermione nodded, sipping on her tea, "I know her excuse was that she was a Slytherin, but goodness that girl was awful. No self-respect. Absolutely <em>dreadful<em> personality. Why on earth did anyone take her seriously?"

Draco snorted and mumbled something under his breath. Hermione took the hint and groaned.

"Don't tell me she was one of _those _girls." Hermione shook her head, refusing to believe.

"Depends," Draco smirked, "What do you mean by that?"

Hermione threw her head back, " You have to be kidding! All this time I thought everyone that was associated with her was stupid for falling for her tricks when it was the other way around!"

"Well… boys will be boys." Draco laughed, "I'm not proud of it but at the time if any girl was _willing_ then you've hit the jackpot."

Hermione laughed, "That is so primitive. Here I was thinking that Pansy had something I didn't and I was wrong. She actually lacked the brains to figure out she was being used."

Draco help up his hand, "No no. I don't mean to defend her but she knew what she was doing. I just think she had hopes that by putting herself out there, one of us would actually take the bait. Unfortunately for her even Crabbe and Goyle knew better than to be associated with the likes of her."

The pair both laughed into hysterics. Hermione set her cup down and clutched her stomach as Draco was having his own laugh, watching Hermione shout out in pain that her stomach hurt followed by giggles.

"Feeling better?" Draco asked, as the laughter died down.

Hermione, unable to wipe the smile form her face, nodded.

"I'll be back," Draco suddenly stood up, "I'm going to fetch you some soup."

Hermione sighed, "No need. I think I'm going to bathe."

Draco shrugged, "That's perfect then. You can have your soup in the bath."

And he left before Hermione could have a word in.

ooo

Hermione wasn't much of a bath person. She preferred showers, and even if she may have really like the feeling of being surrounded in warmth and scents, she was still thinking about installing a showerhead. She immersed her head underneath the water, puffing out her cheeks as she held her breath. There was something comforting about being under water that made Hermione forget most of the world. There wasn't a single thing in her mind. It was simply a blank slate. Although she could hold her breath forever, in those few seconds she was able to, felt like an eternity.

Hermione stuck her head above the water again and too a huge gasp for air. She rubbed the water out of her eyes and took noticed Malfoy was still in his lounge chair, one that he brought up and placed in her bathroom to watch her eat her soup, which was sitting peacefully at her side, untouched, on her side stand table. He closed his eyes lazily and place head on his hand, supporting it from the weight of sleep.

Hermione smiled.

"I feel like a widow." She spoke, watery.

Draco didn't open his eyes but he did respond.

"Do you now? It doesn't surprise me." Draco said with a smile.

Hermione looked across the dim-lit room, the fragrance and the slight steam from her bath was floating in the air caused a bit of a haze. Much to her surprise she wasn't afraid to be naked, several feet away from what was once her childhood enemy. She even considered the bubbly water as a piece of clothing to cover her. She had reason to be anxious and even perhaps a bit suspicious as to why Draco insisted to sit near her while she took a bath but all the worry only inhibited her to fully enjoy her bath. So she let go…

"I want my children to be witches and wizards too." She softly announced.

"Do you?" Malfoy chuckled amusingly, his eyes still closed.

"I want them to experience magic the way I did… as a whole new world." Hermione continued.

"They will."

Hermione frowned, "Malfoy you probably know bloodline better than anyone. If I had children with a muggle… do I still have a chance on having magical offspring?"

Draco nodded, "There's always a chance. Even with two muggles, there's a chance."

"How high?" Hermione pressed.

Draco inhaled and repositioned himself on the chair. He clasped his hands together and neatly folded them on his lap, slumping himself further into the chair as possible.

"Dunno." He confessed, "Maybe a ten percent chance? Then the possibly diminishes with each child bared after that. There's always exceptions, of course."

Hermione sighed, "Can I confess something Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Losing Ron feels like my heart exploded into a million pieces. The pain of grief is the initial burst. Then I feels like I have to gather all the shards of heart all over my body and each one contains a special memory and when confronted, it's an overwhelming reminder that it's just that… a _memory_. There will be no more." Hermione propped her head against the back of the tub, "Then sometimes I could hear his voice calling my name clearly. It's all I have is his voice. I can't remember his touch at all or how he held me. I just remember how _I _felt."

Draco nodded, "Mmm-hm?"

"And it's much more than the pain of his death. It's the death of my future, my life, and even possibly me." Hermione let out a tiny sob.

Draco, startled, sat up straight and listened carefully.

"Don't say that." He shook his head.

Hermione sighed and sniffed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you with another crying tantrum but what do you do with a broken heart? When is it acceptable to start picking up the fragments of us and try to piece out a new life, without him? And even if it was possible to come to terms with his passing and be able to move on, would my heart be truly complete to love another?"

Draco's jaw dropped, "I dunno…"

"Neither do I…" Hermione sighed, "And I don't know if I have the strength to fix myself up. How do I become happy once more when the source of my happiness was him?"

Draco felt a pang in his chest. He watched Hermione slowly sink back into the waters again and now, more than ever, did he want to help her recover. He stood up and hovered above her. She merely peeped an eye open and shut it once more.

"Draco, please don't be a creep. I'm bathing." Hermione moaned, coving her face to block out Draco out of her sight.

"C'mon up." Draco motioned out, "You moved out here for a reason right?"

Hermione peeked from between the cracks of her fingers.

"To rebuild myself as I rebuild a home." She murmured.

"And it's a good idea but how many times have you gone through _this_? This state of misery that takes days for you to recover and you haven't the slightest clue the time that passes you by. What day do you think it is? When did you move in?" Draco paced around.

"I moved in the end of April." Hermione bit her lip, "And it's…" She tried to think of date marked at the end Ginny's letter. Her memory failed her and she took a wild guess, "It has to be… July. July 10th to be exact."

Draco scoffed, "Jul- ha! _July?_ Hermione, we're in the midst of September."

Hermione shook her head, "It couldn't be that long I've been here for two months! I even have my schedule all planned out! Today is a Saturday! I rest on Saturdays! I take my weekly walks to Mere to buy things for the manor! I keep count!"

Draco bit his lip, "Today is a Wednesday, Granger."

Hermione felt her world collapse. Her breathing was shallow and rapid. She began blabbing out excuses for her misjudgment and rising from the bath. Draco, in shock, urged her to sit back down gently. Draco took pity on how she looked lost and scared, like a child who just realized their mother had abandon them. Hermione settled back down while Draco repeated a couple of comforting phases to her. He grabbed the sides of her face and made sure she was look directly at him.

"Hermione, you're fine. You just lost track of time. That's all! That's all… You're not in danger. You're in your home. Safe and sound. Okay? Do you understand?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Here have your soup," Draco handed her the bowl that was long forgotten. It was cold so Draco warmed it up a bit with a spell. He handed it over to Hermione who held out her hands in acceptance and brought the bowl to her lips, tilting it to drink the broth.

She was done eating within the minute.

Draco took back the bowl and watched her, "I'm going to step out for a bit. Get out and get into your sleep robes. Please, get into bed. I'll be down stairs if you need anything."

"But-"

"If it makes you feel better, I can help you clean tomorrow but only if you go to sleep. Yes?" Draco offered.

Hermione sighed and nodded. Draco, confident in Hermione, stood up and left closing the door behind him. Hermione grabbed her wand and with a flick all her bath water began to drain. She crawled out of the bath, quickly covering herself with her towel robe. Combing her fingers through her hair, Hermione collected all her strands up into a large bun on the top crown of her head. Her feet found the slippers she was looking for and before she knew it, she was dragging her feet towards her room, catching a glimpse of Draco reaching the bottom of the stairs.

Hermione didn't know what to think of what their newfound relationship meant, if she can really call it that. She rather not think about it. She had a glimmer if hope she could recover soon and forget that _Draco Malfoy_ assisted her in healing. What would her friends say if she ever admitted that a Malfoy helped her? It's absurd. Hermione was sure if it she did admit that Draco and her were speaking to each other, no one would believe her. Either way, Hermione decided the matter of that topic was too far away to be thinking about this early on. She walked straight into her bedroom, crawled into bed, and with a swish of her wand, blew out the candles.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahem, BAD NEWS I've actually have <em>severe writers block<em> at the moment. I know exactly what I want from this story BUT I can't get over that hump. I absolutely hate the chapter that I'm writing and I have no idea what to do with it. If there is any reader who would like to help out, please feel free to PM. The GOOD news is that the chapter I'm struggling with is actually _chapter 14_ sooooo updates will still be frequent. **

**That is all.**

**Review?**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I see no one wants to help me with the writers block! So sad! I'm going to have to fend for myself and get through it alone! But as I suffer and strive for your entertainment, in the mean time please indulge in the next chapter! (Which by the way is LONGER) Wink.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Six

ooo

Hermione found it curious that Draco knew exactly how to cheer her up. Books. Lots and lots of books. It was peculiar to find two sworn enemies meticulously working on Hermione's Library as if they were business partners and, perhaps, borderline friends. They were dusting shelves, figuring out an organization to order the books in, throwing out copies that were beyond magical repair, and recalling books read in the past. The conversation was light and nonintrusive .

"Have you heard of Moby Dick?" Hermione smiled, "You_ must_ have read it."

Draco frowned peering into a book, turning it upside to gently shake it and a bookmark fell out. He tossed it in a growing pile of notes, bits of paper, and bookmarks that were in-between the pages of books.

"Nope, never touched a muggle book in my life." Draco mumbled under his breath, "These are nothing but ancient history Granger, what do you want with all of them anyways?"

Hermione raise an eyebrow from behind a stack of books she was carrying towards him.

"You can't throw information away like a piece of garbage. Plus, you never know what you can discover from a bookshelf!" Hermione piped up.

Draco let out a dry chortle and took the books from Hermione to scan for himself.

They had been going through all the books since early morning. Hermione actually woke him up from his slumber to get to work as he had promised. Draco wasn't fond of his sleeping condition. He slept in the couch that seemed somewhat clean but found a spider crawling on his face later on that night. Draco easily killed it with the smack of his hand and he promptly went back to a restless sleep. He _could_ have easily apparate back to his own home for a bit of good sleep but he decided against it and stayed, just in case Hermione needed him during the night.

Hermione sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "Draco would you levitate me? I need to reach the top shelves."  
>Draco mumbled out a response, without taking a single glance up at Hermione.<p>

"Why don't you just have the books come to you… _Accio_?" Draco suggested lamely.

Hermione crossed her arms, peeved.

"I just don't get my we can't just flick our wands to fix the place up." Draco whined, "We're already using magic to help us. Why not just let it do _all _the work? I feel like a filthy working muggle."

"Watch it!" Hermione snapped, "Levitate me."

Draco lazily pointed his wand at Hermione and the stopped, "Wait. Which spell can I use? Wingardium Leviosa? Or Levicorpse?"

"Locomotor, Malfoy." Hermione said under her breath, slightly amused that Draco was playing dumb.

"Ah yes… _langlock_!" Draco flicked his wand at Hermione, who glared at him.

"Mul-foy! Wa dee ooo dooo?" Hermione slurred. Her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth and didn't do her much use.

Malfoy chuckled and muttered an incantation, sending Hermione up in the air. She crossed her arms as she levitated several feet above the ground. Hermione hated to be jinxed. As soon as she reached the very tops of the bookshelves, the jinx was at the back of her mind as soon as work was shifted back to her priority. She lifted several books at once, sending them down to Draco to shift through and then, cleared the shelves of the thick dust bunnies that have accumulated over the years. Every once in a while, a spider would make the girl jump but Hermione took care of business by swatting them down with a book. A simple anti-dust spell and Hermione signaled Malfoy to bring her down, unfortunately, Malfoy was far to busy sorting threw books to notice Hermione.

"Maa-oy." Hermione slurred, instantly groaning soon after discovering she still had a jinx on her.

_Well isn't this nice…_ Hermione thought, looking around for something else to do within her reach. Just then, a glimmer caught her eye. Hermione narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, just in case her eyes were mistaken. A tiny speck, reflected in the sun pouring in from the windows hitting a grimy jar. Despite the filth, there was only a small area where a bit of the clean glass had caught the sun and beamed into Hermione's eye. Curious, Hermione grabbed onto the bookshelf and slowly dragged herself away towards her. The farther she climbed, the harder it got due to the charm Malfoy had on her trying to get her back to where the wand was generally point at. Hermione grunted, taking one more step towards the jar that was virtually hidden between two thick unnamed books.

"Hey!" Malfoy shouted, "What are you doing?"

Hermione could feel the second Malfoy's concentration faltered. The weight of gravity hit her with twice her weight and Hermione gripped on tight to prevent herself from falling.

"Hermione!" Malfoy yelled.

Hermione yelled out but only a babble was produced form her mouth. It did not add anything to the situation, other than confusion and frustration from the unfortunate jinxed circumstances. Malfoy pointed his wand at Hermione and shouted the counter-jinx.

"There's something up here!" Hermione explained, holding to dear life as she inched closer to the jar.

Draco shut his eyes, grabbing his hair, "I thought a bookworm like you Granger would know that books are usually in _book_shelves."

Hermione stopped in her tracks and whipped her gazed down at Draco, "Isn't _that _the cleverest sort of idiocy I've heard in a while. Save your sarcasm Malfoy, there's a _jar_ up here."

He let out a dry laugh, "Pardon me, the lady wants to break her neck for a jar that was misplaced on a bookshelf. What's this fascination with the jar?"

"Well it's a _jar_ on a _bookshelf_," Hermione resumed inching towards the jar, reaching her arm straight out, to see if she could reach it with her fingertips, "Don't you find it strange?"

"I couldn't care less." Draco admitted, "I'm already obligated to help out on these books, any other thing seems like too much work to care about."

Hermione sighed, "If you feel obligated why don't you go home? I don't need you, _you_ chose to stay. If I remember correctly you were the one who offered to help!"

"I'm under the unbreakable vow to look after you. Plus, do you really think I'm going to let a fellow witch commit acts of insanity that might harm her?" Draco asked, "Does the condition your in not let you see that you're reaching for a jar, high above the ground, you could have easily conjured?"

Hermione ignored him, concentrating on the fact that she was mere millimeters away from touching the jar. She could taste it. And just when she could wrap her hands around the jar, it suddenly hovered a centimeter above the dirty shelve and then floated down to Draco who reached out to grab it. Hermione, distraught, knocked the two books that concealed the jar off the shelf and hurling towards an unsuspecting Malfoy.

The books landed with two large slams in close proximity to Draco. It nearly startled him to death. Hermione chuckled and magicked herself down.

"You could have gotten me killed!" Draco exclaimed.

"Oh that's a laugh," Hermione chuckled, "_The Impeccable Draco Malfoy, beaten to death by mad books. Story and memorium on page 8._"

Draco sneered, "_My_ death would be on the front page of the Daily Prophet."

"Oh, you think I was talking about the Prophet?" Hermione mused, "That's funny…"

"What else could have you been talking about?" Draco questioned, tucking the books that nearly killed him under his arm.

"The Quibbler." She nonchalantly answered, snatching the jar from Draco who was stunned by the comeback.

Hermione averted her attention to the jar. She took her sleeve of her blouse and tried to polish through the jar to get a better look of the contents. Hermione created a blurred window on the jar, clear enough to see the shine of the glass. She peered into it and noticed there was a dark liquid sloshing around. Hermione furrowed her brows and moved it around again. The liquid seemed to be thick in viscosity and dragged itself down slowly from the walls of the jar, revealing a dark green color.

Draco was by her side, analyzing the books that nearly hit him. He let out a muffled _humph,_ flipping through the worn out pages.

"Are these spells?" Draco asked aloud.

Hermione glanced down at the book in his hands. It certainly looked like there were incantations written in the book Malfoy was looking at. He thumbed through the book and cocked his head.

"Now why would there be an old spell book in _this _house?"

"It belonged to Tonks." Hermione pointed out, "He was a wizard."

Draco scoffed, "I know _that_. He moved out of here before he was able to walk. How in the world can muggle parents be in possession of magical books?"

Hermione suddenly felt like her mind was going a million miles per hour. Her thoughts bounced back and forth at every possibility on why Tonk's parents would be in possession of magical artifacts…

_Artifacts._

Hermione felt her eyes widen and slowly turned her sight back to the jar that she held up into the light. It glowed a brilliant emerald green.

"I think we might have Dragon's blood on our hands." Hermione announced.

Draco snatched the jar from Hermione's hands much to her annoyance.

"Give it here." He exhorted, "Can't be."

Draco wedged the oversized jar in his armpits and reached of the lid to screw off.

"No no no no!" Hermione shrieked, grabbing the jar back into her protective possession, "Don't open it! We still can't be sure if it _is_ dragon's blood. Judging by the state of the house, this jar has to be at least 60 years old. Can you imagine if it _wasn't_ dragon's blood and we opened a jar of rotten… _peaches_ or something like it."

Draco chortled, "Do you think peaches turn green?"

Hermione glared at him, "I suppose you know since you've gone through plenty of life to know what 60 year-old peaches look like. You don't have to be so bloody sarcastic."

"I can't believe Granger is going to let a fear of a smell stop her from opening a jar." Draco teased, "Wouldn't the smartest witch in our class know that dragon's blood does not expire."

"I do know that and I will open it!" Hermione shot back, "You can't just jump into something without giving it a bit of thought!"

Hermione pointed her wand at Malfoy and mutter an incantation. Draco flinched but was surprised to find his nose and mouth covered in a bubble. Sure, he didn't expect Hermione to hex him but he wouldn't put it past her. Draco looked up to find Hermione muttering the incantation to the bubble-head charm. A bubbled popped from thin air, covering Hermione's nose and mouth too. She finally handed the jar to Draco who proceeded to unscrew the nearly unscrewable lid.

"Careful," Hermione chimed, "You don't want to spill."

"Hush, Granger," Draco muttered, getting tight grip on the lid. With a force jerk of the wrist, the lid popped out of its 60 year old jar. Draco carefully unscrewed the lid and took a look inside the jar. Hermione leaned in.

"Dragon's blood." Draco confirmed.

"How can you be so sure?" Hermione asked, taking the jar away from Draco to examine it herself.

Draco dipped his finger inside the jar. When he extracted his finger, the blood that dripped from it was thick and viscous. He rubbed the blood between his fingers and Draco gave an appreciative nod.

"Dragon's blood." He said again, "See here? If you apply some warmth to it, it turns a crimson color and runs a bit lighter like water."

Sure enough, as Draco rubbed the blood more between his thumb and index finger, a slight red began to show dripping from his fingers.

Hermione cocked her head, "Impossible…"

"So do we throw these spell books away along with the blood?" Draco asked.

Hermione glared at him, "How- I can't _believe _you. Do you not see what we have in our possession? Do you know how extremely rare Dragon's blood is and these books can have some value to them!"

Draco scoffed, "Of course I know how rare that blood is. I have around 30 vials back home just in case."

Hermione took the books under her arm and capped the jar once more with the lid.

"You're unbelievable." She spat, making her way to the exit.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Oh c'mon Granger! There was a drop in prices due to the war! Do you have the slightest idea how many Dragon's were killed?"

Hermione marched up stairs, ignoring Draco completely. He watched her ascend to the top and disappear within her room. He groaned and paced back to the library where, with a flick of the wand, shelves were dusted, books were organized and re-shelved, the tables used were fixed, and lounge chairs that hadn't been touch were beaten, to rid it of conceal bugs and a layer of dust that had been accumulating for years. A day's worth of manual work had been done in a minute with a flick of the wand. Draco rolled his eyes.

_Muggle work… _He thought.

He found himself climbing the stairs to check up on Hermione. As he peered into her room, he found her sitting at the foot of her bed, silently crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Hermione's eyes flickered up to him as he cautiously approached her. She wiped the tears off her cheek with the back of the hand and position herself to sit away from Draco direction.

"Nothing." She sniffed.

Draco slowly lowered himself onto the bed next to Hermione, who crossed her arms defensively.

"Listen," Draco compassionately began, "You're stronger than this. A loss is terrible but-"

"Malfoy you idiot, I'm not crying over Ron," Hermione wailed, "You're insufferably stubborn. It's frustrating."

Draco looked taken aback, "You're crying over me?"

Hermione sniffed again, "Don't flatter yourself. I'm not crying _over_ you. Do you not know how valuable information can be? These book have to be from the seventeen hundreds. This book explains uses of Dragon blood that have been discredited due to the lack of evidential support. Do you know what this means?"

"You know that much from reading that book… just _now_?" Draco cocked his head.

Hermione groaned

Draco scratched the back of his head. He stood up and paced towards the bedroom door, "Suppose I didn't know what you were getting at."

Hermione let out a sob and shook her head, "Some of the uses listed have been long forgotten and with a jar of the blood, we can try some of these. Draco, we can probably resurrect a use! Do you know how monumental this is? And there you were wanting to throw these books away…"

Draco threw his head back a bit, realizing the reason why Hermione was getting at. He studied her as she cracked the book open and began to read the pages of a long forgotten book. Draco leaned against the doorframe, shoving his hands in his pockets and secretly hoping that Hermione would not drag him in another project.

A sniffle was heard.

Draco casted his gaze over to Hermione who was bent over her book reading with her hair shielding her face. For a second, Draco thought he was only hearing things but that notion was disproved when Hermione reached up to her face to wipe away what Draco assumed was a tear.

Draco inwardly groaned and walked over once more. He sat next to her and gently nudged her side.

"Hey," He whispered, "I think your idea is pretty good. Only a witch like you would think of doing something monumental as this."

Hermione sniffed again, "Oh… it's not that."

She tucked her hair behind her ear and screwed her face up.

"It's Ron…"

And she collapse into those tears Draco hated seeing because it only meant one thing: another set of long days of water works, force feeding, a dazed and confused Hermione, and screaming in the middle of the night. Not to mention how confusing Hermione was nowadays…

Draco suddenly wrapped his arms around Hermione to which she molded herself into his chest. He prepared for her sobs that usually slowly grew in intensity and with one last cry, she would knock out and sleep for days at end. But that didn't happen, Hermione gripped on to him tightly as if she was hanging on to some small hope that everything might turn out fine. Of course, everyone knew that wasn't the case. Things look so grim for Hermione, even Draco took pity on the frail little thing she has become.

Her breathing, though shallow, had slowed. She sat back up on her own weight and looked at Malfoy. She gulped and gave him a weary smile.

"Sorry, the author of this book is Ronaldo Wood." She shook her head, "It's just… oh forget it. You'd think I'm crazy."

Draco sighed, "Too late for that, I've known you're crazy for at least ten years now."

Hermione threw him a glare, "Careful Malfoy."

"Well if you're going to allow _initials _crumble you down from the progress you made then yes, I'd think you're crazy for doing so." Draco stated, "I know death is a hard demon to face but I think you need to stop avoid it."

"I'm not!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You're hiding out in a Manor you bought on a spur-of-the-moment deal." Draco shrugged, "It sounds like you're hiding."

Hermione leaned back, "How do you know I bought this place on a whim?"

He boy looked taken aback. Draco cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Well you know…" He mumbled, "It's understandable."

Hermione nodded, "I suppose… but do you know what could make me feel better?"

"What!" Draco said, a little too quickly.

"An alchemist book." She smiled, sniffing back some tears, "I think we'd stretch our luck if we find another book in the library. Two seems like mere chance, three? I can't imagine if Mr. Tonk's magical ancestors were _that_ careless to leave books like this laying around for muggles to find.."

Draco stood up, "I could check in back home… there's load of junk we haven't sorted through."

Hermione frowned at the mention of books being junk to Draco. She clutched onto the book, bringing it to her chest and nodded.

"Thank you." She whispered, "I know it sounds strange but I feel undeserving of your um _kindness_."

Draco shrugged but remained silent. He gave Hermione a stately nod and began for the door. Confused, Hermione scrambled to her feet.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

Draco stopped but didn't face her, "I believe you won't need my company for a while. Someone is on their way."

"What are you saying?" Hermione questioned, tossing the book onto her neat bed.

Draco cleared his throat, "I believe I just heard some one apparate out in front. I have to say for such a thin girl she has the hooves of a hippogriff. I'll be on my way."

"Ginny?" Hermione whispered. She blinked once.

She blinked twice more.

Hermione gulped and realized that she was now utterly alone. Hermione ran out of her bedroom in hopes of seeing Draco going swiftly down the stairs. There was none of that. Hermione had a feeling she was entirely alone but refused to believe it. She called out his name in a hushed yell, hoping that if Ginny was walking up to her door, she wouldn't hear such a strange name being called out from within.

Hermione raced down the stairs, frantically searching for Draco but everything seemed so still around her it was impossible to think there might have been someone else in the manor. Then she heard something.

Hoofsteps.

Hermione shook her head.

She meant_ footsteps_.

Then a knocking at the door was heard. Hermione tweaked her ear and listened.

_"Bloody hell, this can't be right…"_

Hermione was surprised. Draco _was_ right. In a blur, Hermione dashed to the door and swung the door open. Ginny was startled by the abrupt swing of the door and a wild looking Hermione but she quickly recovered and threw her arms around Hermione.

"I've missed you loads 'Mione." Ginny squeaked out with a wavering voice. Hermione's throat knotted up, burying her face into Ginny's shoulder. With one last hope to keep her tears in, the threshold was overcome and Hermione was in tears once more. She felt herself sink to the floor, her knees folding under her until Hermione pulled away from Ginny and covered her face with her palms.

* * *

><p><strong>So they finally found the reason for this whole story. Just an slight insight, the rest of the story sort of deals with a factor in a fairy tall we've all seen (I hope)! Any guesses?<strong>

**ALSO, the title of the story not only centers around the uses of Dragon's blood but it serves as a double meaning. Ahem... I would love to hear your guesses because I feel so sneaky and conniving on this plot I some how made up on a whim.**

**Review?**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm very please to see that a lot of you have been putting this story on your alerts! And it was interesting to hear your guesses on what the title and the fairy tale reference is sooo, unfortunately it won't be revealed in this chapter (sorry) but read on!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Seven

ooo

The tears settled after a warm cup of tea Ginny made. She set the cup in front of Hermione who carefully swished it around. Ginny sat down next to her old friend and got a good look.

"You look thinner." She pointed out.

Hermione's lips twitched into a smile, "So I heard."

"I should have visited sooner." Ginny sighed, "When Harry mentioned you bought a house to fix it up, I thought it would be much smaller. I had it understood that you were already done with everything…"

Hermione blew in her tea to cool it down, "I'm far from that."

"Hermione…" Ginny bit her lip, "A bloody _manor_? I don't doubt your abilities to give this dump a new face but what are you going to do once you fixed everything? You can't live here by yourself. It's isolating…"

Hermione curved her upper body over her tea as she sipped it carefully, "I'll think of something."

Ginny frowned, "Still, it pains me to tell you that I think you've done a remarkable job so far in such a small time span. Don't be offended but we all thought you were spending most of your time… just collecting yourself. Everybody back home has been thinking about you, except for Harry. He hasn't mentioned you much."  
>Ginny paused.<p>

"You haven't heard from him, have you?" Ginny asked.

"No." Hermione answered.

Ginny shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Hermione wasn't quite sure if she was bothered by something or if the chairs were truly uncomfortable. Hermione thought at first they were a bit hard but she had grown accustom to them. Ginny succumbed to Hermione's suspicions. Ginny's face was vacant of any expression when her honey colored eyes connected with Hermione's.

"Harry's been distant." She stated, "I think Ron's death… has left him incapable to do anything else but stare outside the window. I don't know what he's looking for. Half of me believes he's waiting for an owl of yours but then, I think he's still hoping that he'll see that dumb face of Ron's walking up to our home for a visit."

Hermione pressed her lips together closing her eyes. She could understand clearly what Ginny was talking about: Harry's pain. That feeling of being lost and utterly confused still crept up on her once in a while. Her head knew perfectly that Ron was no longer living but the rest of her couldn't comprehend it. It was as if her heart was screaming _'What do you mean he's gone?'_ and in some desperate attempt, convince herself that there might have been a mistake and Ron would be at the dinner table, eating all the food, roaring in laughter at how stupid they were to think he was dead.

"He's been sending owl's as well." Ginny said, "Are you sure you haven't received any from him? I don't know who else he could be writing to."

Hermione shook her head, "I just had one… months ago."

The news didn't please Ginny, "I just don't know who he could be writing to… Do you think he could be going astray?"

Hermione had a hard time swallowing her tea. She nearly spit it out.

Coughing, Hermione struggled to speak, "Ginny! You can't- you can't be saying that Harry…"

Ginny crossed her arms and pouted, "Well, it all seems a bit suspicious to me! He sends owls and these letters are _unreadable_! I suppose Harry doesn't want anyone to read them unless he's really gone off the rocker. He is sending blank pieces of parchment and the owl brings a blank parchment back. I mean, how do you explain that?"

Hermione furrowed her brows together, "Well suppose he's _not_ cheating. What will happen if you exploded on him?"

Ginny glared at her close friend, "Do you think I'm stupid? Of course, I know he'll think of me as a psychotic wife. I suppose it's just that I'm…"

Hermione scooted to the edge of her seat at the apprehension that Ginny looked like she was holding something back.

"Yes?" Hermione raised a brow.

Ginny flushed in embarrassment and sighed, "I'm… _pregnant._ I've been a bit hysteric as of late."

It took Hermione by storm. This time around the tears flowing down her cheeks were happy ones as she flung her arms around Ginny. Ginny tightened her embrace around Hermione, expressing the exact opposite as Hermione was.

"I haven't told him." She confessed, "I'm afraid he won't know how to react and I don't want to see him _trying_ to be happy for the sake of it. I want him to be truly happy."

Hermione held Ginny out at arm's length and playfully slapped her arm, "Don't you think Harry needs this kind of news to be happy again? I know I've joked around it for the past year but to actually have it confirmed a little one is on the way! It's absolutely fantastic!"

Ginny wiped her cheeks with the tips of her fingers, nodding. A cry escaped her lips causing her to laugh about it.

"I'm being mental, aren't I?" Ginny breathed in, "I can't help it. I mean if you _really_ look you can see the bump. I'm six months along 'Mione… what am I going to do if I can't pucker up the courage to tell him. I have absolutely _no_ time."

"_Six_ months?"Hermione repeated, "Are you insane! There's no way you can be that far along!"

Ginny gave her friend a challenging look, "I've been using a concealing spell. How can I explain that to Harry? _Oh dear, you're going to have a child in three months time. Huh? What do I mean? Yes, well, you see I have been hiding my pregnancy form you in fear that you might have another lover and might use this as an excuse to leave me._"

Hermione rubbed Ginny's back lightly, "Maybe bringing home a son one day can really get the news across."

Ginny frowned and began to cry, "That's a terrible idea."

Hermione chuckled, "Does anybody else know?"

The red head sniffled, "Mum, of course, nothing ever gets passed her and Ron did…"

Hermione cocked her head.

"The moment I found out about the baby Ron walked in and I just spilled. He was about to leave for… you know. He told me I should wait till he got back so he could see Harry's reaction. He made me promise and I did." Ginny bit her lower lip, "I just don't know how to piece the words to tell him now… especially since I promised Ron I would wait."

Hermione hugged Ginny and smiled.

"I think you should tell Harry exactly what you told me." Hermione nodded, "Please, take the charm off you."

Ginny flushed in embarrassment, "I look horrible."

"Ginny…"

She frowned and took out her wand with a lavish swish, Ginny removed her concealment charm. Her belly suddenly swelled to its proper fullness and her feet looked pudgy and puffy. Ginny frowned.

"Just look at my feet." She said, quite displeased with them, "I can't even wear the shoes I love with out the charm. I don't want to be dragging my feet around in bloody slippers all day, in a nightgown looking like a mess."

Hermione rolled her eyes, placing a hand on Ginny's small belly, " Quit exaggerating. You're glowing."

"It's called oil." She snapped, "And I suppose oil can make my face a bit shiny. It's quiet obvious you've mistaken that for a _glow_."

"Ginny." Hermione sighed, "Are you not happy that you're pregnant?"

Ginny softened up, "Of course I am, I just don't think Harry would find this… attractive. I suppose I'd be lucky if he touches me with a stick… conjured with his wand!"

Hermione snorted, "Don't be so negative. You have a baby growing in you. I think Harry would have his hands all over you the moment he finds out. Perhaps _reward_ you?"

Ginny paused to think, "I _have _been craving cauldron cakes…"

Hermione snorted and lifted to her feet. She stretched out her arms way above her head, yawning. She held out her hand out for Ginny who waddled to her feet. They gave each other an understanding nod. It was time for bed. Hermione had lost track of time between Draco and Ginny that night. She could guess and hope that it was just past 10, but something told her it was way beyond that and it was better for her not to know.

"I think your tea hit the spot." Ginny yawned at the base of the staircase.

"It's good to have you around Ginny." Hermione said.

Soon after, she led her once future sister-in-law up to her room where they immediately crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep. Hermione assumed it was the comforting tea that rested in her belly but there was nothing more soothing than the mere thought of a comfortable plush bed after a day's worth of work in the library that seemed like it was days ago. Hermione's last thought before she drifted into dreams was that perhaps Ginny and Hermione should go down to Mere and buy some seeds to plant in her bare garden, maybe even some ivy.

The night seemed enjoyably long. Hermione began to dream again. It seemed like flickers of scenes and moments. The pictures were in black and white. Hermione supposed the lost the color of the dreams but there was nothing better than to feel like she was beginning to be normal again. The slips of still frames she pictured in her head were of two figures walking out into the farming fields in front of her manor on a bright day then of long tall grass blowing in the wind. Before Hermione woke, she saw herself in a mirror holding a baby wrapped in a bundle of blankets.

Her eyes flew open.

Hermione sat up slowly thinking of the baby in her arms. She looked at her side and saw Ginny, who was a rather uneasy sleeper, tossing around. The pillow that originated at her head was now hanging on to the edge of the bed by her feet. Her hand was laid upon her stomach that bulged in a soft round form.

Hermione smiled.

Perhaps it was Ginny's and Harry's child she was holding in her arms in her dreams. Call her girly, but she was a bit excited to see a bundle of joy enter the world.

Hermione yawned, _a little witch or wizard._

Once Hermione was fully awake she left her nearly sister-in-law to sleep longer and took it upon herself to make breakfast that morning. Hermione usually had a bite of the piece of toast she made every morning but she had a feeling that she was going to eat today, despite the fact that her appetite was still absent.

Hermione had set a nice plate for Ginny on the table, enchanting it so that it wouldn't cool off. Hermione picked at the pans for the scrapes of the remaining food and was satisfied with the fullness she felt. It had been months since she's had egg and bacon, it almost felt liberating to have some substantial food in her. She was almost tempted to pick at Ginny's plate but she stopped herself. She was pregnant wasn't she? So to stop the allure of her steaming plate, Hermione decided to keep herself busy.

She eagerly pranced to the library to finish up yesterdays doing but found it to be in perfect condition. Hermione froze. She found it impossible to have all the books in order on clean shelves. There had to be another two days worth of work left when she stopped yesterday. She ran up to grab a book and flipped through it. It was in perfect condition. She shoved the book back into its place and scanned the rest of the books using her finger as a guide. There was absolutely no way that Malfoy could have done all this work in so little time, that is… without magic, of course.

Hermione frantically walked up and down, eyeing each of the books to see if any were misplaced but they weren't. They were all in order, something Hermione was looking forward to organize a system herself. She even examined if perhaps there was a bit of dust to flick off.

There wasn't.

It was all done.

In a rage, her hands began to shove the books off the railing. She yelled at the top of her lungs. This was _her _project. She was happy at the pace she was going. Hermione didn't mind help. She just didn't want to be babied. It was a process. _Her_ process. There are times when it's crucial for people to go through processes alone. One can't skip it. There's no way they can learn if it's been done for them. Hermione understood this clearly. Why didn't Draco?

Hermione felt her feet step on top of books piling underneath her as she stretched out to reach the next highest shelve. When she could no longer reach, She began to climb, knocking books down to the ground where they plunged to an unorganized doom. More and more books were being de-shelved in an un-orderly manner even the old Hermione was astonish at the rate she was going to knock every single book she can to the ground.

"Hermione!"

Just was Hermione was going to climb on another shelve up, a pair of arms encircled her knees. It didn't stop her. Hermione knocked every single book she could that was within reach. Her speed did slowed. It was until she was trying with all her might to reach on last book did she notice that her eyes were blurred and she was repeating a line over and over again.

_"They're in order. Why are they in order?"_

She stopped and slowly climbed down. Ginny stood there watching her, clearly tear-stained as well. Hermione took a deep breathe in and looked around at the mess she had made. They were currently standing on top of a pile of books. Ginny stood there shocked as Hermione looked around at the destruction she made in horror. Underneath her feet were pages and pages of valuable literature that were now full of bent pages and regrettably possible torn pages as well.

Ginny held out a hand and Hermione hesitantly took it. She led her into the kitchen where Ginny began to plan out ways to tell Harry as a form to distract Hermione of her breakdown. Hermione knew she was going around it and she was grateful for it. Hermione didn't want to explain. Explaining only would lead to Hermione give out the information that someone has been helping out too and clearly, Malfoy wasn't someone she wanted to mention to Ginny.

The rest of Ginny's stay remained a pleasure for Hermione. Much to the Manor's displeasure, Hermione decided not to work a single day. She spent her days out in the garden planting periwinkles and enjoying the much-needed sun. She even got Ginny a couple of presents for the baby one day during an outing in Mere. A precious blanket made out of quilted cotton and yellow satin edges, a stroller, and some bottles and rattles. Ginny was over-joyed at the gesture that day. Perhaps the surge of joy had pushed her to finally tell Harry.

Ginny departed the next day in the afternoon after packing up her things. She had promised to owl her the moment after she told Harry of the big news and kissed her goodbye. Hermione waved at Ginny as she walked past the gates of her Manor onto the dirt path. Ginny looked left and right and with one last wave she popped out of sight. Hermione stayed put. She had no intentions of leaving that spot until the sun suck in the horizon. She squatted down and rested her tush on the steps of the front door. She reflected on the past days of doing nothing and smiled. Never did Hermione think she would enjoy doing absolutely nothing all day. The thought was uncomforting to her soul but the rest of her felt the complete opposite. Hermione lazily rested her head against the brink of the wall. It was then when two figures past by.

Draco casually peered into the gate, looking rather uninterested in the Manor and Hermione who was sitting several feet away from him. Although, Hermione could have sworn he locked his eyes with her for a fraction of a second, he remained unmoved and indifferent. Hermione sat up straight and narrowed her eyes. And just for a few seconds the flawless face of Astoria was clear, laughing up at Draco who seem quite please to have had made his partner laugh.

Disgusted with the passing presence of the no-good helper Draco Malfoy, Hermione climbed back to her feet and had the surge to begin cleaning again and did so for the entire night.

* * *

><p><strong>The next chapter will go more in-depth on why Draco is helping out. I bet all you must be dying to know right? There has to be a motive on why a former death eater would want to help someone like Hermione. Any guesses? : )<strong>

**Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Helllooooo and good morning! I thought I should update while I work on the plot for this story. Here it is! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Eight

ooo

The next morning Draco found Hermione on a ladder propped against the outside of the manor, trying to de-web all the spider webs in the nooks and spaces of the walls with a muggle broom. She had just finished up planting all the fall flowers and ivy when she noticed the house needed some work done too. Draco walked up the path, admire the bundles of flowers that popped up almost over night. Surely they weren't here yesterday when he walked by with Astoria? Draco approached the base of the ladder and smiled up to Hermione.

"How's the weather up there, if you don't mind me asking." Draco chuckled.

Hermione glared down at him and refused to respond. She continued on with her task and when it seemed she was finished she took out her wand and blasted the wall with a powerful gush of air ridding anything Hermione missed. Bits of twig and dust dispersed from the wall like a dirty firework. Draco coughed and sputtered as he received the short end of the stick when it came to gravity.

"Oi!" He shouted, "I'm down here. Try and be a bit more careful."

Hermione stomped down the ladder, moved the ladder several feet away from Draco and then stomped right back up.

Draco, confused, climbed several steps up the ladder after her and playfully shook it to catch Hermione's attention. It was clear to Draco that she was ignoring him what was unclear was for what. Hermione her broom down at her side and looked down.

"What?" She drawled.

Draco shielded his eyes from the sun as he took a good look at her.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

The question was left unanswered as Hermione simply turned back around and swept the wall with her broom once more. Draco jumped off, confused. He took a seat on the steps of the front door, watching Hermione continue on her business. An hour later, she hopped off the last two steps as she descended. She beamed of happiness at the work she had accomplished.

She hadn't been that happy when he was around. There was only one reasonable explanation to her change and it had to be Ginny. Of course it was Ginny. No doubt she missed all her friends.

Still, Draco was surprised to see her genuinely smile since he's been taking care of her. Perhaps all she needs are those who love her the most. Draco frown, knowing that he didn't belong in the picture.

He stood up to greet Hermione as she approached him but once again, she ignored him and past him, closing the doors behind him. Draco found it ridiculous of her and pounded on the door.

Exactly what happened during his absence that changed Hermione so drastically that she's shutting him out, literally.

He jiggled the doorknob only to find it was locked. He took out his wand but even the simple spell of _Alohomora _was not enough to unlock the door which was immune to any counteractive spells. Draco took his defeat and walked away. With one last glance Draco looked up at the Manor and found a single room with its curtains drawn.

Hermione was clearly seen taking peeks at him. Draco waved goodbye and was on his way. He shoved his hands in his pocket and thought about the work he had done. He was sure that he had done a pretty decent job looking after her, possibly to the point of having her trust in him which he knew was no easy task. It was well known that Draco had a bad past of hating muggle-borns; a belief that was learned at a very young age. It was still hard to shake it off in the new world but it was the only way to adapt since the wizarding world had become intolerable to hatred against others. Draco walked up the path he had taken many times before just for a leisurely walk with Astoria and before he knew it, he was walking up the cobble path up to his own handsome Manor he had built for him when he was just eight. Astoria was outside in bits of clothing that barely covered much at all, lounging in a chair, soaking up the sun.

Draco furrowed his brows and marched up to her.

"Cover up. The neighbors might see you." He ordered.

Astoria gave him a lazy look and sighed, "I only want a bit of color. It's no wonder why you're so pale. The sun hardly comes out here. I have to seize the chance while it's still shining."

Draco gritted his teeth and walked away.

"Draco, love. Join me." Astoria called.

Draco stopped, "I can't. I must send an owl."

"Another?" Astoria whined, "You spend half the time writing to god-knows-who and for what? Your mum and father live a couple of miles down. Can't you just apparate down there and tell them what ever it is you need to say?"

Draco shook his head, "Enjoy the sun love."

He walked into his home and directed himself to the office where he had been spending quite a bit of time there as of lately. Draco slumped into his chair, massaging the temples of his forehead. He had no idea how to explain _this _in his new letter. How can he explain a regression, yet a big progress, in Hermione's behavior when she was doing so well before Draco left?

_Women, _Draco thought, scoffing.

Draco sighed and picked up a folded bit of parchment that was hidden underneath several other blank parchments. It too was blank until Draco tapped his wand on it and whispered a revealing spell. A dark spark shot out of Malfoy's wand seeping into the parchment. The dark spread out into tiny lines and figures until they formed letters and words to read.

**_Draco Malfoy,  
><em>****_It has come to my attention that you will have a new face in your area of town. Hermione Granger will be moving in a Manor she bought on a whim. I beg you to help me, Malfoy. I won't ask much from you, in fact, it pains me to ask this from you since you're the only person that I know that lives down there._**

**_Would you do me the task to look after her? Hermione can't be in the right state of mind as of lately since the death of Ron. I know this can't be very practical for you since I've heard that you and Miss Astoria have living arrangements together but please, I beg of you. She worries me and I don't want her to be alone. Please response as soon as you can.  
><em>****_-Harry Potter_**

Draco thought back to when he first received the letter. He remembered quite clearly that morning he asked Astoria to go on a morning walk with him. Draco had known of only one home that was on sell in his neighborhood and that's because he had put it up for retail since the Manor meant nothing to him. As he pasted by the gates, he purposely slowed their walk. He paused and peered into the gate and the lot of the Manor.

Astoria shivered, "Such a mangy old house."  
>Draco nodded, "Someone just bought it. I suppose who ever it was must be completely off their broomstick."<p>

"C'mon, let's not disturb them, then." Astoria urged Draco to walk on.

But just before Draco took a step he spotted a small figure by a window. The face was unrecognizable beneath the layers and layers of caked on dirt but it did wave at him and for some strange reason, Draco waved back.

The rest of the day was a blur to him. The only vivid memory he had was sitting back at his office writing a letter back to Harry on his decision. He had agreed to look after her because he was forever in debt of Harry and the magnificent two after saving him from certain death. Would he have experienced forgiveness if he had gotten left behind? Would there be another opportunity to express his gratitude to them? Their fate together seemed twisted into an unrecognizable knot, unknowing where the path would be bent next because of that profound act of saving him. Harry responded soon after.

**_Draco Malfoy,  
><em>****_I know what I've asked of you may seem impossible to do. I'm not sure how guarded Hermione is. We've sent a couple of owls to her with no response and Merlin knows that we've tried to persuade her out of it but she's grown as stubborn as Ron was. I'm afraid that she'll cause harm to herself. She'll never have the heart to hurt others but she won't hold back on herself. If you can understand, please do not let her know I've asked this from you. She'll refuse any type of help if she knows that someone is behind it. If I am correct, she'll rely on the kindness of strangers to get her through. And although, you are no stranger you are also not a part of the family she lost. I have hopes she'll open up to you. Please take care of her. Ron would never let me live if anything happen to her now that he's gone.  
><em>****_-Harry Potter_**

Draco closed his eyes remembering every single update he sent to Harry. Some were long scrolls and others a sentence on a shred of parchment.

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She seems so lost…_**

**_Harry,  
><em>****_Granger looks a lot better today. Still doesn't eat much…_**

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She's up in her room crying as she has for the past two days…_**

**_Harry,  
><em>****_Help I don't know what to do. She's your friend, shouldn't you tell me how I should help her?_**

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She stopped crying in her sleep._**

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She's a hell of a girl. Can't seem to map out what she's going to feel next but I sense improvement in her…_**

Draco's eyes flew open just as Astoria walked by, sending a devilish smile at him.

"I'll be washing off dear," She called out, "You can join me but don't take too long."

He waved her off as he took another rip of parchment and began to scribble on it.

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She smiled but I think she's stuggling._**

Draco threw his quill down and let out an exasperate sigh. There was plenty weighing on his mind as he deliberated with himself. He grabbed another piece of parchment and rewrote his letter.

**_Harry,  
><em>****_She smiled... I suppose that Ginny's visit helped her much more than I could. I suppose she's upset at me over something I do not know of. Maybe it's time for me to step aside and let her friends be there. Besides, I fear that I won't be around too often to keep in check with her. As I mentioned, Astoria and I are now engaged._**

He mailed it off and watched the owl disappear into the bright sky. Draco wasn't sure what to think. He was first confused over a feeling he had. Deep inside him, he too wanted to see Granger better but he wasn't sure if it was because he wanted to get on with his life or because he earnestly wanted to see her insulting him again like the old Hermione would.

"Draco? Are you coming or not?" Astoria peered into his office. Draco turned away from the window and smiled.

"I'll be right there love." He nodded.

Astoria pouted, crossing her arms, "Well you're wasting time just standing there. You know our parents are coming tonight. Tell the elves to really clean up and please, do not go insane when they talk about children. You know it's a part of getting married right?"

Draco shrugged it off, "It's infuriating. Children will happen on its on accord not because we need an heir before two years has past. Everything in due time."

Astoria approached him and nuzzled her head between his neck and shoulder.

"You know your father hasn't much time. He's weak from his time in Azkaban. The only wish he has is to see a grandchild in your near future." Astoria cooed, "It wouldn't be so bad, would it? Having a little boy with that pale face of yours running around.

Draco had envisioned something slightly more different. Two rosy cheeked boys chasing each other around as a women held two more babies in her arms, two girls. He shook it off and smiled. Perhaps he wanted a bit more than just one child in their future.

"No it wouldn't be so bad," Draco mumbled, turning around to kiss Astoria's cheek, "In fact, it's such a great idea maybe we should get a head start on it."

Astoria giggled as Draco lifted her up.

"Put me down!" She squealed, "We have much to do before they get here!"

Draco laughed, "The elves will take care of it."

"Draco!"

He promptly placed her back down on her feet. She quickly smoothed down her hair and took a sharp inhaled breath.

"Thank you." She stated, "We can get a head start _after _the night is over."

The rest of the day dragged on for Draco he made sure the food being cooked was perfect and that the dinning table was just right. He went down in the wine cellar to pick out a bottle perfect for the occasion. Tonight was supposed to be the night when Astoria and Draco announce an engagement. Draco was very honest with himself, he knew he was going to marry Astoria because they seemed to be a nice match: they both came from very wealthy backgrounds, they never had a serious argument, and they had the blood status to ensure a secure pure-blooded child. This was his future and he's known of it since he was able to comprehend words. It's all he's known.

As Draco prepared for his parents arrival something in him changed. He wasn't sure what it was but every bit of inside him twisted and knotted around painfully. He had no idea what it was until they were all sitting at the dinner table and Astoria rose clearing her throat.

"It is my pleasure to announce that as of last week," Astoria glanced down at Draco, "we are engaged and are happy to be planning a wedding."

Lucius beamed at Draco and her parents seemed quiet pleased.

"Well it doesn't surprise me." Astoria's father, Arthur, lifted his drink up for a toast, "Though the news is still beautiful to hear. Toast."

Cups clinked together. Draco forced his drink up and sipped down his wine. His insides were moving in protest of the situation and it was making him sick. He suddenly pushed his chair back and stood up. He excused himself and nearly ran off to the loo where he splashed a handful water on his face. His breaths became erratic making him lightheaded. It was then when he knew something was very wrong. He had the feeling when he got his darkmark, his whole 6th year at Hogwarts, and a couple of times when he dad was sent of to Azkaban. Those things made sense. They were related to something sinister, something that would churn the stomach of any sane person. Marriage shouldn't be a cause of that. He put aside his sickness and readjusted his tie and promptly marched back out to be congratulated by his new family.

ooo

_I came across a very peculiar object in a very peculiar way that it seems I was destined to find a jar of what seems to Dragon's Blood in a home formally owned by muggles. And along with the jar, a book of old spells and outdated references that have been long forgotten. I, Hermione Jean Granger, will set out several experiments to test the old folklore uses of Dragon's Blood and hopefully based on old idea's maybe able to form a new use for Dragon's Blood. _

_Twelve Current Uses_

_- If ingested by muggles, can temporarily give them a tiny amount of magical abilities. The use on squibs, however, has no effects on them whatsoever.  
><em>_- Hastens the speed of healing bruises and scars caused by non-magical injuries.  
><em>_- Two drops can relieve the pain of birthing mothers.  
><em>_- Can enhance the ability of basic potions.  
><em>_- Can be used as a durable dye on clothes.  
><em>_- If used on hair as a wash can repel build up and pesky muggle lice. Hair can last a couple of moths without washing.  
><em>_- An effective bug repellant.  
><em>_- It glows with a simple revealing spell, a useful property of Dragon's Blood which was use during the Salem Witch hunts to guide witches to guide them into secret hidings.  
><em>_- It's healing properties can rejuvenate the mind and soul but cannot extend as far as to the exterior portion.  
><em>_- Used in the process of making magical broomsticks and wands.  
><em>_- Can be used to detect the presence of magical creatures in a watery environment such as a lake or a pond.  
><em>_- And the ever so popular oven cleaner…_

_I have known of the uses by heart since my first year at Hogwarts and grown to learn of its deep roots of alchemy, a very ancient magical practice. The concept is difficult to grasp as it is a pre-foundation of the very bases of magical concepts like potions but very ground breaking in these fields when one can understand and even manipulate the building blocks that lay down the foundation. Unfortunately some of the previous uses are far too complex and written in Latin so translating the Ancient Runes seems like a better fit to start with. There are two specific forgotten uses that I would love to try to recreate. The first being an elixir that needs only an apple to hold it's magic. The elixir is said to be given to an unsuspecting target and once bitten the apple is said to rob the target of their energy but not their magical abilities, the second, a rather abstract telling of a trip to the other world without having to die. Before I set out to attempt these tasks I will study and immerse myself in every inch of Alchemy that I can possibly find. I find no greater danger than to perform these tasks before a having the basic knowledge of Alchemy._

Hermione closed her book and quickly shelved it, properly concealing her ideas within a large wall of other volumes and books that engulfed an entire towering wall. No one would suspect her expect for Malfoy. Hermione bit her lip, carefully stepping over the books she had previously heaved to the floor. Once she was on solid ground Hermione reached for a large heavy book that was opened like a blossoming flower on the desk. She sat herself down and scanned over the page with a small smile on her face.

"A trip to the other side,  
>where our dearly loved ones hide.<br>A drop of Dragon's blood is all one needs,  
>in a full bathtub with yarrow, chrysanthemum, and roots of the belladonna to proceed.<br>Take with you a possession to bring you back,  
>or be ready to be engulfed in black.<br>This is the link back to your domain,  
>stay for too long and your trip can be in vain.<br>If one can accept loved ones are gone,  
>they will appear to you until dawn." Hermione read out loud.<p>

She ran her fingers over the stale page. This is what she had her mind set to and she was willing to cross over, despite the dangers, for just one more moment with Ron.

* * *

><p><strong>So HUGE shout out to <em>arabellagrace <em>who surprisingly knew what I was up to! By the way for all the reviewers, just so you know, I love to interact with you all and I sometimes reply back to your reviews with a private message! (Sometimes containing a hug or answering questions... other times giving out exclusive hints on what's coming up) BUT, I suppose you all rather just wait for the next chapter, right?**

**Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Was it a big surprise to see Draco helping out because of Harry? Anyways, I REALLY stress some of you who review to check your private message inbox because I love replying to some of you. Just a way to say thanks!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Nine

ooo

Draco escaped his family the next day to visit Hermione. He certainly didn't want to be in blame if anything were ever to happen to her and he certainly wasn't going to let some hissy fit of hers keep him out. He turned up on the path up to her doorstep and paused. Draco was mildly impressed at the work Hermione had done to the front of the manor. The patches of lawn were trimmed down to its near root giving an orderly look to what used to be a wild and untamed grass land. The hedges were shaped, the flowers had begun blooming, and what used to be a dirt path was now cobblestone. Draco inspected the Manor. It seemed put together. It no longer looked rough and mangy but orderly and clean. Draco found it hard to believe that Hermione had done all this in a day.

"What are you doing here?"

Draco's eyes flickered towards Hermione who appeared around the corner of the Manor, carrying a large pot with gardening tools sticking out of it. Draco narrowed his eyes and glanced up to the cloudy sky.

"It seems it might rain today." He announced.

Hermione gave him a curious look but ignored him.

"You can't be thinking of planting today." Draco continued, "The rain can wash away the seeds."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but restrained herself and continued to do what she had planned to do. She kneeled down by the doorsteps, taking out a hand shovel and stabbed the earth with it.

"Do you know what kind of properties a yarrow has?" She asked.

Draco, who was leaning against the polished gate, sudden stood up straight and cleared his throat, "Um yarrow, the flower?"

Hermione nodded as she dug up more dirt.

"I remember Professor Snape saying something about healing but nothing more. We never used it in class. We might have used an extract…" Draco shrugged, "Can't be sure."

"Impossible." Hermione muttered.

"Excuse me."

Hermione looked up and shook her head, "Potions. We couldn't have used it in Potions. I've read almost every Potions books none of them mention yarrow. It can't have magical properties thus using a nonmagical ingredient can't be much use to a potion."

"Then why would Professor Snape mention it to me." Draco challenged.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "When did you have this discussion, if it ever happen that is?"

Draco firmed his jaw, "When Harry attacked me."

Hermione felt her grip loosen around the hand shovel. She gulped remembering her sixth year in Hogwarts when Harry used_ sectumsempra_ on Draco during a duel. Harry had gotten in a lot of trouble and even had a hard time explaining to them what he had done. Hermione shook her head.

"There are incantations to reverse what had been harm." Hermione lectured, "I've read in books-"

"I know." Draco cut in, "_Vulnera Sanentur_ heals wounds but the extent of its abilities can go so far. At the Hospital Wing, Snape gave me something to drink. It was yarrow with hot water, like some sort of tea. It made me feel loads better and I asked what it was."

Hermione frowned, "Why isn't it in any books then…"

Draco shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards her, "Why are you asking anyways?"  
>Hermione's eyes widen and she quickly turned away, "Just… wondering."<p>

"Mind telling me why I got the snub yesterday?" Draco asked, smiling.

Hermione flushed and looked away, quickly gathering her things. Draco panicked. Sensing that Hermione was about to run away, he ran to her before she could escape. He reached out for her arm, hooked on to it and brought her close. Her held her in a gentle tight grip that stunned her. She gulped, avoiding his gazed he forced on her.

"Granger." He sternly hissed, "Stop doing this. You're not helping yourself."

Hermione chin quivered as she tried to wiggle out of his hold. Hermione managed to escape because Draco had let go of her. She took a few steps back and took in a sharp breath.

"Why do you want to help me?" She questioned, "I don't get it. And then, when you do, you manage to ruin _everything_."

"I don't follow." Draco cocked his head.

"The library?" Hermione said, trying to refresh his memory, "We were far from fully preserving the library and the next morning it was as if we had worked all week on it. You used magic _didn't you_."

Draco paused, not knowing exactly what to say.

"I… I didn't know. How was I supposed to know? You- _we_ used magic to help us." Draco pieced out.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, "Yes, to aid us, not to do the entire work for us! Draco you don't understand. I _like _working, okay? I like the feeling of having to work to reach a goal no matter how strenuous or mundane the work it involves."

"I didn't know…" Draco muttered out.

"I told you!" Hermione raised her voice, pointing at him accusingly, "You know I didn't want to fully depend on magic!"

"I meant to say I didn't know you were going to react in such a manner." Draco sighed, "Can I come in? I need to speak to you."

Hermione stared at Draco who seemed defeated. He slumped over which was unusual to see when Draco usually stood up straight and strutted around in superiority. Hermione motioned him in and lead him in. They idly walked aimlessly until they reached the library. Draco, upon setting his eyes on the disaster Hermione caused, turned to her.

"Did you do _this_?" He questioned.

Hermione ashamed, pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, "What do you need to discuss? I need to get back to work."

Draco sighed, "I don't think I'll be able to come by regularly."

"Good." Hermione nodded, "That'll keep on my mind on track."

Draco frowned, "Astoria and I have reached an agreement and we're engaged as of Friday of last week. We just announced it to our parents yesterday."

Hermione, who was defensive, felt her walls crumble down. Her arms fell to her side, limp. She searched for something to shoot back at him, something snide and malicious but she came up with nothing. She was empty of any feelings except what felt like water. It's a strange to name a feeling after water but it what she felt like.

"Congratulations." She whispered, "I suspect it was expected of you?"

Draco bitterly smiled, "Yes, would you anticipate anything else?"

"From you? Not really." Hermione shared the same bitter smile, "The wedding soon?"

"Oh no." Draco shook his head, "Our families are preparing but it takes a long time for families to reach an agreement, at least a year."

"To agree on what?" Hermione asked.

"Where we would be living, their wills, our wills, where we wish to send our children to school…" Draco listed.

"Where? Don't you plan on Hogwarts?" Hermione gasped.

Draco shrugged, "Astoria's family is mainly from France. I suppose Beauxbaton is in the running of schools if an agreement is made of housing us in France."

Hermione nodded once and turned to face the library, she took out her wand and flicked it. Immediately, the abandon books were send flying towards their original places on the bookshelves. She gave one last watery look at the library and turned on her heel to walk right out. Draco followed her up the staircase to the bathroom where she proceeded to draw a warm bath. Draco sighed and tilted his head back.

"I don't want you to be alone." Draco said quite dutifully.

"I'll be alright." Hermione said crisply, "I was fine without you."

"No you weren't." Draco let out a laugh.

Hermione casted a glare at him, "I don't think I'll ever understand why you are so keen on being helpful."

Draco sighed and turned around after Hermione cued him to do so. When he heard Hermione clear her throat, Draco pivoted and sat in his usual lounge chair by her. Hermione made sure the bath was extra bubbly this time around. Draco rolled his eyes at her insecurities. Draco had thought to explain to her he'd never be physically attracted to Hermione but thought against it due to previous young encounters with women and the delicateness of their image. He suppose it made sense then, why she would be careful not to fully expose herself to him, as it is Draco has had a very critical analyzing past on women.

"When will you be seeing Ginny again?" Draco asked, exhaustedly. Something about the scent of the warm bath and the thick heavy air surround it affected him, relaxing every inch of his muscles so that he almost melted into the lounge chair. IT was nice after his engagement announcement had made him very anxious.

"I'm not so sure." Hermione sighed, "She's pregnant, you know. I could have been an aunt."

"I'm sure they still see you as family Granger." Draco muttered.

"What do you think of Chrysanthemums?" Hermione said.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "That's a sudden change of topic."

"I'm thinking of how to decorate this bathroom." Hermione lied.

Draco yawned, "Are you now? Perhaps I should send Astoria to you when the wedding approaches."

Hermione gently splashed her toes around, "I have no desire to tend for your wedding."

"Except don't use Chrysanthemums." Draco warned, "They're a symbol of death in France. Her family would be in an outrage if they saw those anywhere near the wedding."

"Death, really?" Hermione smiled, "I'll keep _that _into consideration."

Draco and Hermione locked eyes, exchanging a look of pure mischief. Draco leaned forward towards Hermione, allured.

"Do I hint a bit of unwholesomeness in pure and innocent Granger." Draco gasped, " Tsk. Tsk. My, my, my."

She laughed, "I'm only joking I don't even know the poor girl. Never formally at least. I wouldn't do such a thing to her. For you, maybe, but not her."

Draco smirked, "Seems like I underestimated you completely Granger."

"You know, I used to be scared of you my first three years." Hermione admitted, "I'd see your stupid blonde hair from down the corridors and I'll try to avoid you if possible."

"What happened in fourth year?" Draco asked.

Hermione shrugged and smiled.

Draco thought long and hard trying to recall fourth year which was all a blur to him. He vaguely remembered any classes, he hardly paid attention any ways but classes seemed optional that year. He recalled the beautiful ladies from Beauxbaton and Durmstrang…

Draco cocked his head at Hermione and narrowed his eyes.

"It can't possibly do anything with a certain student from Durmstrang." Draco shook his head, "You guys were just dates at the Yule Ball, right?"

Hermione sunk lower into the bath, hiding a mischievous smile growing on her lips. Draco's hand reached to his mouth in awe.

"You two were _involved_?" Draco gasped, "Really involved? Everyone thought you had him under a love potion."

Hermione frowned, "_Love Potion_?"

Draco laughed, "Well, you were perhaps the smartest witch in our year, possibly the whole school."

Hermione sighed, "Well not naturally. I worked hard because magic fascinated me. I had it understood you were hiding a great potential behind all your laziness."

"I suppose." Draco sighed, melting back into the chair, "So Krum, eh?"

Hermione laughed, "Oh goodness, he was such a big teddy bear."

"He looked like a bug brute to me." Draco snorted.  
>"Viktor was a very complex being." Hermione defended, "His parents were absent from his childhood, he consider himself an orphan even when his biological parents found him, and he found an escape in quidditch. Yet, I found him humbling and kind."<p>

Draco snorted, "That arrogant beast?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well he was the first boy that made me feel like I was worth something."

Draco stopped laughing. He took a good look at Hermione who was staring at the opposite end off the bathtub with an intensity that it made Draco realize there were a lot more deep rooted things in Hermione that for some damn reason he wanted to figure out.

"What made you think you weren't?" He asked.

Hermione glanced up at him and he got the clue. Well, it seemed like she was blaming him for some sort of insecurities she ever had and when Draco looked back, he suppose she was right to blame him. He wasn't the kindest person to her and if he really tried to remember, Draco was sure he had made fun of her hair or her teeth. Draco smiled at the memories of him going out of his way to put her down, in the most degrading way and it seems funny that while he looked down at her because of a blood-status, one of the most talented Quidditch players the world has ever seen saw her differently, the way Draco was seeing her now.

"I was a rotten kid, wasn't I?" Draco groaned.

"Well it wasn't just you, it was Ron as well." Hermione confessed, "I'd gone to a private all-girl school before Hogwarts. I was made fun of there but I quickly realized that it was because of my grades and not because of my looks. There were plenty of other girls who had ghastly teeth and big watery eyes that went under the radar because they weren't model students. At Hogwarts, I thought boys would be different but it seems like I got teased for being a good student AND being unruly looking."

"You grew on everybody eventually." Draco pointed out.

Hermione closed her eyes, "But the teasing was damaging until Viktor."

Draco clenched his fist feeling the urge to punch the nearest object. He controlled the unexpected outburst of anger and controlled his thoughts. If Viktor Krum was that much of a positive figure in her life beforehand, Draco thought he should be a great help to her while he was gone. Draco ran his finger throughout his hair, trying to recall if there was any way to reach Viktor in hopes that he could keep an eye on her as to not break his promise to Harry. Draco envisioned a million and one possibilities in where Viktor replaced him in the mean time and he dislike every single one of them.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione sighed out, expressing her contentment that the bath was giving her.

Draco shook his head, "Ummm France?"

"Ah," Hermione smiled, "When do you leave?"

Draco sighed, "Soon."  
>"For how long?" She questioned.<p>

Draco scrunched his nose, "A couple of weeks."

Hermione smiled at his response, sending her in a million possibilities of what to do when he was gone and she had no chance of having someone barge in without her consent.

"What are _you _thinking about?" Draco reached out and touched the tip of her nose. Hermione laughed and moved away.

"School mischief." She laughed, with that watery look in her eyes again, "I miss it so much my heart aches. Running through the corridors, dodging food being flung in the Great Hall, staying out of trouble, getting in to trouble, lounging by the lake, staying up late chatting, growing up…"

Draco closed his eyes reliving his most innocent years, "Seems like half of it was robbed by Voldemort, wasn't it? Losing sleep over the threat of him."

"I can't see how you would losing much when you were on his side." Hermione mumbled.

"He was a threat to everything. Anyone who didn't realize it was a threat just as big as him." Draco glared at the air, "I know my parent's beliefs probably will never change but their kind is a dying breed. We won't have to deal with them for much longer."

"And you?" Hermione chirped.

Draco slumped back in his chair, "Well I'm here with the likes of you. Speaks volumes, doesn't it?"

Hermione frowned, "I suppose. Not much has changed between your parents and you, you're still marrying a pureblood."

"I like Astoria." Draco reasoned.

"Because she fits your parent guidelines. She's clean cut, from a good family, beautiful, possibly very good at being intimate, but most importantly she's a pureblood." Hermione played with the bubbles around her, "I see nothing wrong with her. She seems like the type that's never negative, can still smile whenever there's bad news, and can whip up a mean batch of cookies just to make you smile."

Draco's hand rubbed his scruffy chin and he chuckled, "You'd be surprised that's she not that perfect. Not the way you make her seem."

Hermione turned to Draco, "But she's exactly what your parents want you to have."

Draco remained silent, giving the exact confirmation Hermione needed. She hummed to herself allowing herself to move around in the bathtub. They stay that way for the next few minutes. They stayed quiet enjoying the presence of each other, allowing the silence to speak for them. Draco watch Hermione closed her eyes and drag them back open as if her eyelids were too heavy to have them open.

Draco flicked his wand and the water began draining form the tub. Hermione groaned. Draco forced himself back to his feet and tossed the bathrobe at her.

"I suggest you dry off quickly." Draco urged, "We have to take a trip to Diagon Alley before I leave and I'm not taking no as an answer."

* * *

><p><strong>What did you think?<strong>

**Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Dragon's Blood**

Chapter Ten

ooo

"A parting gift?" Hermione repeated. Her eyebrows raised in astonishment as Draco ushered her around a slowed pace Diagon Alley. There weren't many people around but that was easily explained. They were nearing October and the usual back-to-Hogwarts traffic has died down, there were a couple of older Wizards and Witches walking around, idly looking into store fronts, looking for nothing in particular. Draco, on the other hand, knew exactly where he was going. Hermione wished he would slow down so she could enjoy being outside of her Manor like she enjoyed her trips to Mere. She was about to protest about the haste Draco had but a storefront distracted her.

"_Weasley' Wizard Wheezes_." Hermione said under her breath.

Without thinking about it, she head towards it as Draco foolishly walked ahead unaware of her disappearance into the Joke Shop. Hermione pushed the door open and a bell ringed, signaling her entrance. The store was almost abandon but every single item was still shining and moving as if the store were alive and thriving of customers. Hermione looked around in awe as she did the first time she had visited the joke shop. There were heavy footsteps pounding down the staircase that startled Hermione. She hid behind a display of love potions as she watched George look around for a face.

"Hello?" He called out.

Hermione gulped and stepped out from behind the display. She strained a smile and waved at the twin.

"Hi George." Hermione meekly greeted.

George's eyes flew over towards Hermione and a bittersweet smile spread over his lips. He motioned her over, extending his arms out for a hug. Hermione sheepishly approached him and wrapped her arms around George who warmly embraced her back.

"How goes it, 'Mione?" He asked, "I haven't seen you since…"

Hermione bit her lip, "The funeral."

George cautiously analyzed her, "Are you holding up alright?"

She stepped back and smiled, "I feel better. What about you?"

George let out a sigh and shrugged, "Well what can I do but move on? I don't think I'll get over the remorse but I can't stop living, can I?

Hermione nodded, "How's business?"

George looked around and humble shrugged, "It's great. There aren't many customers around the store right but we get so much owl orders it's almost impossible to keep up. You know, the kids are back in school. I have two interns working for me upstairs handling the shipping and taking care of the owls.

Hermione patted his back, "That's great George!"

He shrugged once again, "I suppose. I haven't been too inspired lately to do any new work. Fred was the one who took my ideas and made them better or reassured me they were good. But enough about me, what brings you down here?"

Hermione paused and nervously giggled, "Books."

George cracked a smiled, "It's nice to know you hardly change 'Mione, especially now that the world seems so different."

"I know what you mean," Hermione sighed.

Just then, the bell went off again. George seemed uninterested in who just entered his shop. He did, however, stretch his neck out to check who had enter and he did a double take. His eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?" George spat.

Hermione looked over as well to find Draco searching up and down until his gaze landed on her. Hermione immediately felt uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and excused herself.

"I'll be leaving now. It was nice seeing you again, George." She declared.

George nodded deepening his glare at Malfoy. Hermione past Draco and made her way out into the open air, continuing on as if she had traveled alone. She stopped at a couple of storefronts and waited for Draco to catch up to her. She was eyeing a new broomstick model when Draco grabbed her elbow and spun her around.

"Don't stray away." He ordered, "You had me worried."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook him off, "I still find it strange out of all people you would be worried. Besides, I was with George. It's not like I was on some suicide mission."

Draco's expression dropped and he quickly looked away. It was something that did not go unnoticed by Hermione.

"Is that what you think? That I'm so emotionally unstable that you believe that I'm going to harm myself?" Hermione said in a hushed outraged.

Draco sighed and pulled her along, much to her protest. She continued to accuse him of being delusional and self-absorbent until she noticed where Draco was taking her.

"Why are we going into Knockturn?" Hermione said.

Draco walked on, "There's one more thing I need to get you."

Hermione open her mouth to protest but glanced down at Draco to find that he was holding three books in his arms. She didn't understand but it quieted her down in curiosity. They walked down what seemed to be a cleaner version of Knockturn Alley. It was still dark and grey with a couple of shady people droning around but it felt lighter. Draco led her into a nameless store only to be confronted with rows and rows of books. He abandoned her side and walked straight up to the clerk, a shriveled old man who looked shockingly fragile. Hermione slowly crept up on Draco, listening in on their conversation.

"You don't have a copy of the Peterson Book." Draco argued, "I sent an owl and you replied by saying you had exactly what I need."

The clerk flashed a toothless grin, "M'boy I find that you might be interested in something more suitable for your research. I have a rare copy of _The Complete Works of Ronaldo Wood_, said to be used by Nicolas Flamel himself to create the Philosopher Stone."

"Really," Draco sarcastically drawled, "And how was it that you were able to get a hold of this book?"

Hermione felt her blood rushing to her head.

"Nicolas Flamel?" Hermione asked, stepping up front to stand beside Draco, "Can you really prove it?"

The clerk sent another toothless grin at Draco, "I suppose this is the lovely Astoria your father has been talking about. Welcome dear."

Draco and Hermione exchanged looks.

Hermione shook her head, "I'm not-"

"She's uhhh _not_ interested in the book until you show us some proof." Draco spat out.

Hermione glared up at him. The old clerk, tired of persuading them with words, gave up and headed towards the back to retrieve the book.

"Why did you interrupt me?" Hermione questioned, "I don't' want to be mistaken for Astoria, much less your future wife."

Draco sneered, "And why not? I would consider it a privilege if I were you."

"And what kind of privilege would I gain from that?" Hermione shot back in a hushed tone.

"That you're comparable to the impeccable taste I have in women and to be confused with Astoria says a great deal, doesn't it?" Draco explained.

Hermione felt her face rush with blood, "What makes you think that's a compliment?"

Draco frowned and glared at her, "Because you _are_, unfortunately, beautiful."

Hermione felt her face redden but for a far different reason than being angry. She remained silent when Draco bought the book for her. She didn't say a word when they walked to the Leaky Cauldron and had a drink or two. And she definitely didn't speak when they reach her Manor and settled in for the night.

Draco flipped through the pages of her new books, inspecting the quality after paying an extraordinary amount of attention on _The Complete Works of Ronaldo Wood_. She was thankful but it bothered her that Draco would be _kind _for no reason than seeing her improve… and to buy her a parting gift?

Hermione watched him closely, hiding behind a copy of Moby Dick. She turned her page exactly every three minutes to project that she was busy and uncaring of what Draco did. Ten pages later, Draco slammed the book shut causing Hermione to jump in her seat.

"Would you open the damn window?" Draco growled, "The bloody owl has been pecking at it for the past five minutes."

Hermione cocked her head and turned to the single large window in the library. Just beyond the glass was a barn owl with a scroll tied to its leg. Hermione jumped out of her seat and rushed to the window to the let owl in. The bird hopped in and stuck its leg out for Hermione to untie. She held out her arm for the owl to jump on and led him to the kitchen for a snack. Hermione was fairly entertained as she watched the owl peck at the breadcrumbs and cucumbers she laid out for him that she almost forgot about the letter she had received. She opened it up.

**_Hermione,  
><em>****_Harry took the news well yesterday. He looked overjoyed which made me so happy. Not even explaining that I was further along than he thought made him upset. It's like I gave him a cartful of treat and he went on a sugar high. He was ecstatic! I thought the news would last well into the week or possibly the year but a day after telling him he seems like he's back in his hole. He's supportive and affectionate; I just sense he's not fully there. Is it crazy of me to think that these letters are the cause of it? I saw him receive a letter late last night before we went to bed. I really want to believe it's his job or something reasonable like that but I feel like he's investing his emotions elsewhere. I thought hearing the news that he was going to have a baby boy would cheer him up but it only lasted for so long. Should I speak up?  
><em>****_And before I make this letter completely about me, George came around today after work. He said you came into his shop today. He also mentioned you two were having a nice conversation until the bumbling idiot Malfoy barged in. Thank goodness you left quickly, George said he got into a row with the idiot. Banned him from the store. Serves him right, don't you think? It sort of brightened my spirits until he mentioned he had a strong feeling that you and the idiot were together. He's ridiculous isn't he? I suppose it was a slow day at the shop that he's inventing elaborate stories for his own amusement. Anyways, I'd like to see you again. Perhaps for Halloween, will you have your Manor ready then? We could invite the family for a nice celebration! Write back.  
><em>****_-Ginny_**

Hermione bit her lip. Harry was acting suspicious. It was hard to deny it now and Hermione didn't have the heart to try and convince Ginny out of that state of mind when he was having trouble with it herself. News like pregnancy should blast a man into eternal happiness and it was suspicious that Harry was taking it lightly. She folded the parchment up and pocketed it. She walked back to the Library to find it empty.  
>"Walk me to the door Granger." Draco ordered, gracefully walking down the staircase. Hermione balled her fist up. He's getting too comfortable, she thought. The idea madden her knowing that Draco was freely doing what he pleased in <em>her <em>home.

"I set the books on your nightstand," He said as he reached the bottom, "I figured you'd like to do a bit of light reading before you go to bed."

Hermione nodded as they walked toward the front door. Hermione stood inside as Draco opened the door for himself and faced Hermione. Thinking he was going to say a quick Good Night, Hermione griped on to the doorknob and waited for it.

"You know I think it's fascinating that you're absolutely floored that I complimented you." Draco smiled, "But to be left _speechless_? It's like icing on top of cake."  
>Hermione glared, "Don't be mistaken Draco, I am speechless but I'm more repulsed than you can imagine."<p>

His silvery eyebrows rose as he shrugged. Draco took a good look at Hermione before taking a step towards her. He lowered his head towards her ear and whispered a spine-chilling goodnight. Hermione moved slightly to the side to direct her gaze into his.

_What is he thinking?_

Hermione puzzled over Draco action was soon even more baffled as he lowered his head towards her and place a kiss on her cheek. He watched her as she felt the reaction bubble inside her. Draco smiled, content and walked off.

* * *

><p><strong>So there's just a TASTE of the upcoming Dramione moments but be sure that I don't plan on them being together soon so just hold on tight and enjoy the ride. And if you want me to <strong>

**Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ahhh, so I slowed down my daily updates only because I am nearing the stopping point in my writing and I fear I will post shit up in order to keep up with demand and I don't want to risk the storyline or write in a filler just to give you readers something to devour. So just as a warning my updates won't be as frequent as they were.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Eleven

ooo

True to his word Draco hadn't visited. This gave the world of opportunities for Hermione to study and clean at the same time. There were several times she would trip over enchanted brooms that she ordered to sweep the dust out of the remaining room so she could mop later. She would later find herself sprawled on the floor from tripping into the brooms that grew tired and laid on the floor in exhaustion. Hermione laughed at herself the first time it had happened. She even found it hilarious that due to her constant reading she couldn't concentrate even on the simplest tasks, like walking. But the third time she found her cheek against the cold ground, she didn't find it as amusing.

Two weeks of exhausting work, Hermione had managed to clean out the remainder of the rooms. She had a daunting task to decorate the rooms and dust off the mattresses but overall she had done a great job in clearing out the musk out of the air that hung in most of the manor. It seemed like the cold was helping. Every morning Hermione would get up and open every single window of the rooms to air them out. The first day she had done this, the whole house smelled like the gardenia and sweet peas that were giving out their final last dying fragrance before the frost of the fall came along. Hermione was saddened that all her gardening work was coming to an end and all that would be left of her garden that winter will be nothing but dried sticks and dead leaves under a foot of snow. But at least the fragrance was over powering the musk inside leaving a sweet scent along with a cold draft.

Hermione didn't mind, she layered on her clothing as much as she could and if she were to be shivering, she would simply take cover in the ballroom where a warm giant fire was always roaring.

Despite the advancement of her house work there was still plenty to work on but was put off for later. Hermione was completely immersed in her study. Draco did her a great favor and marked off sections she would be particularity interested in like, for example, in the _Wizard's Guide to Dragons _he excluded all the dragons from the America's due the relative danger and the ban of any of them in Britain. After hours of examining the blood in the jar Hermione was sure she had a Common Welsh Green Dragon's blood on her hands.

"_The blood of the Welsh Green is extraordinarily hard to extract as it is, Welsh Greens are extremely isolated creatures and avoid human interaction. Baby Welsh Green's were hunted for in the late 1400s over speculation that young blood was far more valuable. Alchemist Nicolas Flamel disproved this theory and the hunt for Baby Dragons of any species was banned. The blood of a Welsh Green is very similar to other breeds of dragon, the only variation is that the blood holds a thicker consistency partly due to their diet and reluctance to do any physical activity other than hunting. The blood was use widely in the 1000s in England for their homeland access and the availability..."_

Hermione stared at her jar and squinted, "You look pretty thick to me."

She tipped the jar back and forth to reveal the slow heavy movements of the blood.

"_The best preservation of this blood is a clear glass jar, a cloth soaked in fire whiskey screwed under the cap."_

Hermione shrugged and unscrewed the jar. She had a thought. If Ron had still been alive, Hermione was sure that this task would have been easier due to his knowledge of Dragons. Hermione snorted and examined it further, quickly dismissing the thought. If Ron_ had_ been here, there would be no need of trying to experiment with the blood.

"Dragons blood gleams in the light." She recited, "And be easily identified if an oven is near by."

She dipped her finger into the blood and extracted it. The consistency reminded Hermione of honey as she smeared the blood over the roof of the oven that had burnt caked on food from years ago.

Hermione watched it the blood gurgle and then turned a violet color. Hermione, amused and curious, reached for a hand towel and wiped away the blood to reveal a smooth marble rock underneath the layer of baked residue.

Hermione was mildly impressed. Once she had discovered that she was indeed in possession of dragon's blood she moved on to her Alchemy books, three in all. One to introduce the subject, a thick looking one to advance techniques and explain theoretical reasoning, and the third was Ronaldo Wood's. Much to her surprise, there wasn't a lot of magic involved in Alchemy. Perhaps maybe the reason muggle alchemists never were able to produce the sought after Philosopher stone was because it needed a magical kick for the stone to generate the kind of miracles it did. After Hermione had her fill during a study session late at night she had found a lead to her experiment. She had found a clue to help her understand a bit of her last experiment. Beaming, she summoned her journal and took a quill out.

_The practice is Spagyric. It is based off the field of Alchemy, a method that primarily uses metals and solid substances to try and attempt the making of a stone. Spagyric is the use of herbal subtances using Alchemy techniques to extract the basic components needed to heal. Muggles used this method back then to create healing remedies like a potioneer makes potions. Alchemy is a lengthy process that cannot be done by magic alone. It requires patience that has been lost in our world due to the ease that comes with magic. I suspect that the second experiment requires some of these techniques rather than simply tossing in petals into the bath. I suppose the flowers mention have more than just symbolism attached to them. I have previously done as much research as I could on the Belladonna, wondering what it's significance was. I quickly found its significance by the neighbor's gardener who was packing up since he was no longer needed to tend over dead plants. I mentioned to him, to put it plainly, that I wanted to plant the Belladonna because I heard it was a beautiful flower. He immediately reacted to this and shook his head. He wagged his finger at me and warned me if I choose to have any children not to plant them. I didn't understand so I probed further. The Belladonna is a species that produces poisonous berries that children might eat if their curious nature got the best of them. He then told me if I still wished to plant them, to never touch the roots with my bare hand. _

_The experiment has a poison base._

_I couldn't wrap my head around the implications of immersing myself in poison when I realized that in order to see Ron, I suppose I'd have to be a little dead, or harmed, to enter his world. The thought of poisoning myself to see Ron one last time is scaring me. I'm not sure what would people think if, by some possibility, the experiment goes wrong. I could be poisoned and possibly die from it. I suppose Draco was right in being concerned. I am on a suicide mission. This has the potential to take my life for good and for once, the idea isn't comforting. Even now, when I find myself terribly sad, I don't wish to go. I still see that I have a purpose to fulfill and I have yet to discover it…_

Hermione looked over her entry and nodded approvingly. She reached out for another book where she had been taking notes.

_Second Experiment_

_**Dragon's Blood-** Many magical properties, healing seems to be the priority for this particular design.  
><em>_**Yarrow-** Has many medical implications but overall healing.  
><em>_**Chrysanthemum-** I didn't find much on this flower for its uses. Perhaps the only one that seems relevant to this was that if brewed it can keep the person alert and awake. Plus learning from Draco, it's a symbol of death.  
><em>_**Belladonna-** Poisonous._

_I suspect that the broth of this is meant to kill me while it's healing properties keep me a bit alive. Also, I strongly believe that the possession needed I'm supposed to hang onto while in the bath has to be a belonging of someone you wish to see. I don't have anything of Ron's but I'll make sure I'll get something of his soon enough._

Hermione read over her notes to make sure she had gotten all the information right. She referenced to the books she used and left gaps in some pages because there was simply not enough information to confirm her beliefs.

Hermione sighed, closing her books. She felt it impossible to keep her lids open so with one last yawn she got up and dragged herself to bed.

ooo

Ginny banged on Hermione's door. She was extremely uncomfortable as she looked at Harry who looked as anxious as she was. Ginny had no idea how to explain this to Hermione. They were visiting unannounced and she wasn't sure how Hermione would take it.

"Maybe she's asleep." Ginny shrugged.

"We should still check up on her." Harry insisted, banging on the door. Ginny wasn't sure what to think of her husband's actions. He seemed to be more attentive of Hermione than he was with her. She crossed her arms in jealously and took a step back. There was no way she was going to help him out.

"C'mon 'Mione." Harry muttered, "Open."

Ginny sighed, "Harry, it's best we come later. It's too early either way. Come, let's take a walk to Mere. Hermione said there was a tea shop we should try out."

Harry looked dejectedly to the ground but obliged. Ginny frowned as she linked her arms with Harry's as they walked forward. Harry didn't talk much but Ginny kept him entertained with baby names in order to keep his mind off Hermione.

"Alastor." Ginny joked.

Harry snorted but shook his head, "You know what I want to call all of our children."

Ginny frown, "It's unfair that I can't name _one_."

"You can give them a middle name." Harry suggested.

"Fine his middle name will be James." Ginny shrugged nonchalantly.

Harry laughed, "You can't used James as a middle name. His name is already James."

Ginny cleared her throat, "So he has been given a name them. James James Potter."

Harry chuckled in laughter.

The continued to argue over names. Both Harry and Ginny were much too involved in their fight that they almost overlooked a tall slender girl walking past them giving them a haughty look. Harry thought she looked familiar but Ginny was the one who fully recognized her. She waited till they were well into Mere to mention her.

"Astoria Greengrass." Ginny said in astonishment, "I didn't know Hermione was in a wizarding community. I mean it has to be. It's one thing bumping into other magical people in a city but in a small sparse village like 'Mione's…"

Harry looked nervous as they entered the teashop. Ginny was too busy figuring out what to order to notice Harry.

"Is that her name? Are you sure?" Harry asked nervously.

Ginny nodded, "Yes. Is she still dating Malfoy? Ugh she wouldn't stop talking about it our seventh year. As if she hit the jackpot. If she really knew what a coward he was during the battle I'm sure she wouldn't be gushing over him. I wonder what she's doing down here, she used to mention that she in France but her Parents rather her go to Hogwarts because… Harry?"

Harry snapped his head toward Ginny, "Yes?"

"Do you want me to order?" Ginny pointed to the register. The man behind it was waving them over.

"Yes." Harry quickly said.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked.

"I- uhhh," Harry glanced up the menu display and cleared his throat, "Black with milk."

Ginny flashed him a grin and approached the register. Harry rocked back and forth on his heels, anxiously. He had been pushing Ginny to visit Hermione since he received a letter from Draco explaining he couldn't due to pending priorities that would take him out of town. Although, Harry wasn't too informed about his engagement he_ was_, however, well aware of Astoria since Draco had mentioned her in his letter.

He was worried for Hermione. Ron's death had taken a toll on his energy lately that he relied on Ginny sometimes to make him smile. Every once in a while she would trip over her own feet or say something completely ridiculous that it lifted his mood. Even the news of being a father soon nearly destroyed his grief over Ron but Hermione…

Harry knew if he was having a hard time dealing with his death with Ginny by his side, Hermione couldn't be doing better alone. Even more so when she impulsively decided to move into a manor Wilshire without warning anybody. It was unlike her, to do something so drastic by herself, something out of her element. It raised several red flags for Harry, even more so when he found out she was moving very close by Draco Malfoy's residence. Wiltshire was the breeding grounds of supremacist purebloods.

Harry doubted that Hermione knew much about Wizarding communities and their reputations but a simple sweep of a book and she would have know what she was getting herself into. Harry sense that her compulsion made her overlook the facts. It sent him in an outrage to find out that Hermione wasn't thinking, wasn't being herself. And in desperation, knowing that Hermione wasn't in the mind frame to be looked after by anyone she trusted, Harry contacted Draco.

He was comforted by his constant information even more so with the details he provided.

**_…She's grieving Harry. What else do you think she's expressing? She's borderline depressed. This is worse than a break-up. She's heartbroken. She loved that twat but she is being responsive. She gets up every morning and seems alert. Do you think it's a warning sign that she's warming up to me out of everybody? Don't you find that a least bit strange? Can't you send Ginny? Send someone. Please…_**

Harry persuaded Ginny soon after to visit Hermione. It took a while before Hermione accepted but as long as Hermione didn't spend an extended period of time alone Harry was somewhat at peace.

"Here's your tea." Ginny nudged Harry's side, "Let's sit do-"

"No," Harry said, "Let's take these and go back to Hermione's."

Ginny eyes suspiciously and frowned. She was in no mood to fight but boy was she going to bring this up tonight. She agreed and they were back in the path to Hermione's Manor. They walked in silence this time, each thinking up a storm of completely different things.

As they neared Hermione's home, they noticed a women raking up leaves with three rakes working by themselves as she pushed a manual lawn mower over the patches of neat grass.

"Hermione!" Ginny called, waving high in the air.

The women, lifted up her brimmed hat revealing a happier Hermione. Harry was stunned at the improvement. He felt a relief wash over him to find her in this state and to see for himself that Draco had been very accurate with his information. Hermione dropped the lawn mover and raced towards them, flinging her arms around Harry's neck. Harry squeezed his eyes and hugged her back glad that she was still here, with him. Ginny laughed as Hermione suddenly attacked her in a hug. They were both very pleased to see Hermione in such a state.

"Harry! It's been so long!" Hermione beamed, "I hear that you're going to be a father soon, eh?"  
>Harry ducked his head down, kicking the pebbles at his foot, "Well yes. The news was exactly what I needed to pull me through. You know after Ron, I think we all need some good news."<p>

Hermione gulped but nodded, "I agree, I agree. Do you want to come in? I just finished having breakfast but I can make something for you. If you'd like, that is."

Ginny bounced, "A warm breakfast sounds nice. Harry you have to see what Hermione's doing with the place."

Harry, already scoping out the Manor, nodded, "Yes, I see."

Hermione looked back at her home, proudly, "I think after I'm done I'm going to give it away."

Ginny and Harry exchanged glances.

Hermione looked sheepishly at the ground, "I was thinking to give it to Teddy. It should be his after all. It was once his family's."

Harry have her a look, "Really?"

Hermione nodded, "I think he deserves having something that once belongs to his family."

"That's preposterous, 'Mione." Ginny shook her head, "You can't expect a kid to live here all by himself."

Harry shrugged, "I kind of like the idea."

Ginny playfully slapped his shoulder, "Of course you do, he's your godson! You spoil him as much as you can."

Harry grinned, "I just thought it was nice of Hermione to think of Teddy when the Hermione I know might have turned this into a summer school to help students of they're falling behind or want to prep for O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. All right let's have a look at this place."

The three of them advance towards the Manor leaving Hermione thinking as she introduced them to her home. Harry was very impressed with the ballroom and was delighted to find ten rooms. He even commented they could have a family as big as Ginny's parents did and still have room to spare. Harry looked around appreciatively and even joked that the Library has to be where Hermione spent most of her time. Hermione chuckled lightly at his teasing.

As she sat them down for a hearty breakfast, much to Ginny's delight, they began lightly talking about grown-up things, like the weather and the next time they should all get together to see each other.

"Halloween," Ginny insisted, "It's perfect. We can set up the Floo Network and make sure everyone can come."

Harry leaned back on his chair, enjoying the freshly brewed cup of tea Hermione placed in front of him, "Only if it's alright with Hermione."

"It is, isn't it?" Ginny pleaded.

Hermione lightly scoffed, "Of course, my work on the house would be underappreciated if I didn't have a reason to be working on it."

Ginny grinned at Harry with a triumphant nod.

"Are you sure?" Harry insisted.

"Yes. Of course." Hermione replied, "It would be a pleasure to see everyone again with some fire whiskey…"

Ginny immediately frowned, "I can't have fire whiskey."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe some pumpkin juice?"

Ginny crossed her arms, ignoring Harry. She was about to remain silent for the rest of the conversation when she immediately remembered a face that had to be mentioned.

"Hermione, you know Astoria Greengrass, right?" Ginny asked.

Harry tensed up.

Hermione finally sat down after tending to their breakfast needs. She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as if she was thinking.

"Yes, I know who she is but I never met her." Hermione spoke slowly.

Ginny bit her lip, "Harry and I just saw her while we walked to Mere to check out the teashop you wrote about once, remember."

Hermione's expression grew vacant as she let her thoughts get the best of her.

"Yes," She responded," "You went to the teashop, you say?"

"Did you know that Astoria live around here? Seems strange to me. I thought she lived in France." Ginny shrugged.

Hermione snapped out of her trance and smiled warmly, "No, maybe she was dropping by. Meeting a friend here, perhaps."

Ginny re-crossed her arms, clearly unsatisfied, "I still don't know and the fact that she was _walking_. Spoiled witch never liked doing much, even less if she considered it something muggles do."

Hermione, once again, was sent into a whirlwind of thoughts. If it were true that pureblood all shared a dislike of muggles and their menial normal activities then why would she constantly see Draco and Astoria on a walk, nearly every single morning? It was a curious question Hermione wanted to know the answer to but was quickly shoved to the back of her head. Even more so that Astoria was around when Draco had said he was going to be away. Hermione thought that they were _both _going to be traveling together.

"Perhaps she likes the view." Harry shrugged, "Wiltshire is very beautiful. I can see why you chose living far away from everything, 'Mione."

Hermione smiled, "It is very scenic, isn't it?"

"Astoria…"Ginny said under her breath.

"More tea, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Can I have some?" Harry piped up.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed, "We could make cauldron cakes and pumpkin pastries for Halloween!"

Hermione and Harry quickly agreed and complimented Ginny for the excellent idea as Ginny sat up straighter, proud be contributing a great deal for this upcoming party she helped start in the first place. Astoria wasn't mentioned for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p><strong>If you're asking <em>"Hey Natasha, you know... when are we going to see some hope, a glimmer, even a glance of some Dramione? You're killing me."<em> Well I can say that... well it's not in the next chapter. BUT it will be very soon and I'm tempted to add in more to that chapter because all it really contains is fluff and you guys don't want that, _DO YOU?_**

**_Review._**


	12. Chapter 12

**SO good news. I am officially over the writer's block AND it came just in time! Right now I'm working on chapter 18 and to be honest, I have no idea how many chapters this story will have. I do, however, know how much fluff is coming your way. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twelve

ooo

"Ah, you're back love!"

"Yes, but not for long. I need to go back to the ministry to inform them about my absence."

"Silly that they keep a close eye on you."

"Astoria, it's required. For_ all_ wizards."

Astoria crossed her thin arms and sunk down to the chair next to the fireplace. She looked away from him into the fire, clearly upset. Draco kneeled next to her.

"Please, love understand. We have to do this before we leave tonight. If not-"

Astoria groaned, "Yes yes, I know! If not, we would be facing illegal charges pressed against us! Don't you think it's a little extreme? Is it necessary for them to know our exact whereabouts? Draco, it's obvious the ministry is still apprehensive to trust again, especially a former deatheater."

"I don't want to cause trouble." Draco sighed, "Do you know where I might have placed the forms? I need to get them sign. Have you packed?"

"They're in your office. By the way, I threw out all the parchment you've been collecting. It was making a mess." Astoria sighed out.

Draco froze and casted a glare at her, "You _threw _them away?"

Astoria rolled her eyes up, "You can't get mad over _that _Draco. What do you want with bits of parchment? You haven't been using that to write have you? You know we have nice parchment to use for business sakes."

Draco clenched his fist and stormed out of the living room to his office, shuffling through files and papers to find his forms. Astoria was hot on his heels.

"Darling." She cooed.

"Not now, Astoria." Draco hissed, whipping out several forms from a file, "I have to go again. I expect to find the parchment you threw out back on my desk when I come back for you, understand."  
>"Dear," Astoria smiled apologetically, "I saw Harry Potter today."<p>

Draco perked up slowing his pace as he exited his office. Astoria followed him out, hooking her arms through his, slowing him down for a chat.

"He was with Ginny." She recalled, "And she was looking pretty _full_."

"Potter?" Draco mused, "Impossible."

"What business do you think he has down here?" Astoria wondered.

Draco cleared his throat grabbing a handful of floo powder, "It best we talk about this later. I must go."

Astoria pecked his lips smiling and watched Draco as he was engulfed by green flames. Immediately her pleasant expression turned into a scowl. She gritted her teeth as she took out the roll of parchment from an ornate vase and shuffled through them. No matter what spell she had casted, none of the parchments reveal themselves to her. But there was _one_…

Astoria wasn't looking for anything against her fiancé, she was only trying to tidy up his office. She had gone through every bit of parchment that was scattered on his desk until she found one. She was about to place it in the stack, along with the others until she turned the parchment around. Curiosity got the best of her and she began reading.

**_…having a pleasant time with her. I had my doubts that she would completely reject you but from what you tell me, it seems like she's taking a liking to you. Perhaps you can get her to open up a bit more. It sounds crazy but I have this gut feeling that you can help her be fully happy again. _**

Astoria read and read the tiny paragraph a number of times. She couldn't comprehend who this was by and what was going on. It obviously wasn't Draco's letter to somebody, the print wasn't small and eloquent like his handwriting. The mismatched handprints gave Astoria a fear, she then began to poke and prod every single parchment with any revealing incantation she knew but none of them filled the parchment with the message.

Astoria was sure that Draco must have forgotten to cover up his tracks.

_That scumbag!_

Astoria came to one conclusion: there was someone else.

There had to be. What else could explain this fragment of a clue? Draco hadn't mention anything to her about taking care of someone, much less a _girl_! There wasn't any nieces or cousins she knew about to rule out an older women. It had to be that. Draco was seeing someone that was obviously intoxicating him.

Astoria then smirked, "The poor girl has been thrown herself at him and yet, he's with me."

She lifted up the intricate engagement ring into the air for her to fully appreciate. She sighed and cocked her head to the side, feeling the urge to cry. Did it matter that Draco was trying to battle of some helpless girl off him? And even if he was involved with her, there was no way he would step out from the marriage. It was expected from both of them to produce and heir. It was a vow that was almost unbreakable. Astoria bit her lip and unraveled the parchment, rereading the exposed paragraph.

"_It seems she's taking a liking to you._" Astoria read out loud.

But still…

Astoria felt heartbroken. There was only one way to fix this and that was to hurry up the engagement and get married as soon as possible. She knew it could take up to a year for their parents to reach an agreement but she couldn't let that much time pass. Astoria bit her lip and watched Draco walk out of the range of their manor to disapperate. She felt guilty as she formed a plan for their nuptials but she didn't see another escape. She had to settle their parents agreement for herself.

ooo

"Are you sure you two don't want to stay?" Hermione begged, "I have plenty of space!"

Ginny shook her head, "Not tonight 'Mione."

"One night doesn't seem too bad." Harry shrugged, earning a gentle shove from Ginny.

"We can't." Ginny insisted, "We can come back tomorrow if you'd like but I think you need sometime to yourself, we've occupied so much of your time today already! Didn't you say you wanted to shop for curtains? You didn't even get to do that cause of us!"

"I don't mind company." Hermione smiled, "You two are always welcomed!"

"I'll return tomorrow." Ginny smiled, "We can go shop for the things you need."

Hermione frown as she watched her friends inch toward the door. She gave up on the battle and convinced herself they were probably right. None of the rooms she had finished had clean sheets or dusted beds to sleep on. It was best for her to wait so she gave up and frowned as they popped out of view from her front gate. Hermione flicked her wand at the lamp as it flickered to life. She listened to the crickets for a second before retreating back into her own four walls. Although she was very tired from all the chitter chatter and the tour she gave Ginny and Harry, Hermione still dragged herself into the library and poured herself over her work.

She had set aside her priority experiment to begin the first.

The apple.

She spent the rest of the following three weeks pouring over her experiments. She had taking a liking to it since it reminded her of a muggle fairytale, Snow White. Although the apple used is assumed to be poisoned, Hermione wondered perhaps if the fairy tale, if it were ever true, was using the exact elixir she was brewing. The process was fairly easy as Hermione discovered. It took her days of theoretical research and some practice runs. Some were extremely complex formulas that wielded nothing but a shriveled apple, others had gone so askew that Hermione had to exit her own home because the fumes that the potion was emitting were nauseous.

It wasn't until after Ginny came by for several days to help her prepare for the upcoming Halloween celebration did Hermione get a simple inspiration. Ginny was baking pumpkin pastries and whipping up a frosting. Hermione hovered around her to see how she was baking the sweets.

"Are the fudge fangs cooling off?" Ginny waddled over to the table where Hermione was piping a couple of cauldron cakes for Ginny. Hermione shrugged as she watched the very pregnant Ginny lean over the table to pick up a fudge fang. Hermione grinned at her now protruding belly was inhibiting her to near the table as she use to.

"You rounded out all of the sudden," Hermione chuckled, "You had a cute little belly the last time I saw you. It just popped out in a matter of weeks."

Ginny glared at Hermione, "Well I have a 2 months to go. You can't expect this boy to be small! My mum has been over constantly to feed me, She said I was too thin for 5 months when I told Harry, she took it upon herself to stuff me. It's been horrible. I don't want to eat too much but it's mum's food! I can't turn it away. I suppose that's why I suddenly look larger. Harry's been loving it though, didn't you see him? He's been packing on a belly as if he's carrying his own child."

Hermione chuckled, "He looks fine!"

Ginny smirked, "You haven't seen him naked."

Hermione covered her eyes, jokingly groaning and thanking Ginny for the mental image she cause. Ginny laughed as a small blush crept up her cheeks. She cleared her throat, preparing herself to taste the fudge fangs and much to her expected surprise, they were delicious.

"Mmmm, 'Mione. Try one." Ginny handed over a fudge fang to Hermione. She set down her pipe and took a bite out of the fang. Instantly Hermione melted, closing her eyes as she experienced the smooth taste of the fudge tickling every sweet taste bud she had.

"Ginny you are _amazing_!" Hermione explained, "What did you put in this?"

Ginny shrugged, "Just the usual. Butter, sugar, chocolate, some vanilla, and milk."  
>Hermione tilted her head back and shook her head, "Impossible. This is too good to have only that."<p>

Ginny smirked, placing a fist on her waist, "You know it's usually the simplest of steps and ingredients is all you need to get the job done right. It's usually too much when you add unnecessary ingredients to a batter. Sometimes you don't need the flare of 5 spices and imported sugars from god-knows-where."

Hermione took another bite of her fangs and chewed, "Say that again."

Ginny confused, recited what she had just said, "Say what? The simplest of steps and ingredients is all you need to get the job done right?"

"Yeah…"

Hermione repeated what Ginny had said over and over and over again until the phrase was etched in her brain.

"Is there something wrong?" Ginny asked.

Hermione smiled, "No! It's these fudge fangs. They kind of blew my mind. I might just steal your thunder if I start making these."

"Ah, just wait till you try the cauldron cakes!" Ginny rushed to the oven, "These are to die for!"

That night Hermione forced herself to stay up and look over her notes. She reexamined every single detail of her fails and what she had concluded from that. She noticed there was a significant amount of magical ingredient's that seemed unnecessary now that she looked at it from a different perspective.

And now that Hermione really thought about it, this procedure dates back to the medieval times. A time when magic was primitive compare to how far it has advanced to. They must have used simplistic spells and concoctions to perform a deed.

Hermione nearly slapped herself.

_But of course!_

Hermione rushed around to make another potion, out of the book she discovered in her library. The elixir only spoke of three main ingredients: bark of wiggentree, moondew, and wormwood.

Hermione couldn't figure out why and how these ingredients would rob the energy of a person who took a bite of the apple. She did note that some of these ingredients were used in the potion Draught of Living Death. Hermione bit her lip.

Was it possible that this potion was a precursor to that potion?

In fact, it did say the apple with the injected potion was supposed to rob the suspect of their energy, similar to what Draught of the Living Death does but on a much larger and potent scale. Hermione dropped her book to the desk and rushed over the messy kitchen to take out her cauldron, she filled half of it with water and brought it to a boil over the flame, she then took the dragon's blood and added three fat drops to the water that immediately simmered the water down to a smooth still body. Hermione opened every cabinet until she found the three ingredients. One by one, she added them in, stirring them as best as she possibly could. Before long she had a thick white almost pudding like potion on her hands. Hermione, not knowing what to expect, shrugged and looked over at the sac of apples she had.

There was one thing that stumped her and that was how to inject the potion into the apple without cutting into it. Hermione sighed, stirring the potion a bit more until she was stuck with an idea.

She immersed the apple in the potion and stirred it. It disappeared in the white consistency. Hermione stirred around more, feeling the apple at the bottom of the cauldron. She turned the flame off and with that, she went to sleep to prepare for the festivities that were taking place tomorrow.

As she settled in her bed she took her journal and began to write.

_I just completed my 7th attempt. It was on a whim and quite impulsive. I didn't have much time to think about the procedures and if I had respected the balance of Alchemy this time around, I'm not sure if I did, but for once the potion was tame. Unlike the other first experiments, nothing blew up in my face nor did I have to replace my cauldron. I feel quiet stupid on adding more to the simplistic steps the instructions gave me. Perhaps that's why the potion wasn't working. This elixir was meant to be plainly simple and even if this attempt doesn't work, it already has a more promising outlook than the others. We will see in the morning._

Hermione set her journal aside and tucked herself in, mentally preparing herself for an early start.

* * *

><p><strong>And now you wait anxiously by the computer, waiting for the next chapter, which I have promise to finally give in to your request for the fluff. It's been a long time coming, I know and I'm so glad you have waited <em>this long <em>to experience the glory that is fluff. But I will promise to update sometime tomorrow if you...**

**_Review._**


	13. Chapter 13

**This may seem like a cute filler but I do believe you will a like it. _Very _much. AND I promise, there are some things you should carry away from this chapter. It shapes the rest of the story.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Thirteen

ooo

Hermione awoke bright and early the next morning. She looked into every room to make sure it was tidy enough to bed every invitation she had sent out. Although she doubted many of them would want to spend a night in her cold lonely manor, Hermione decided the best way to persuade them to stay was with more ginger and fire whiskey. It was forward of her to get her friends drunk but Hermione really wanted to see how it felt to have a home alive with people, with kids running up and down the stairs, and to have loud laughter bouncing in the air of every room.

Before Ginny, she didn't figure that she would be too excited for this Halloween celebration but she was now. There was a buzz insider that kept her alert in the early morning. In her room, as she magicked her bed made, she picked up the photo of the trio in their second year of Hogwarts that was next to her bed and softly kissed Ron's side.

"I wish you were here." She whispered.

She set it down; back in it's place and smiled at the moving picture of Ron that seemed repulsed that he was just kissed by her. Harry chuckled as her picture-form looked irritated.

Hermione playfully rolled her eyes and sighed, "Oh Ronald."

Just then, the sound of the front door clicking shut interrupted Hermione's thoughts. She threw on her apron and rushed downstairs ready to greet Molly, Ginny, and Fleur who all promised to arrive in the morning to start preparing the main course of the feast. Instead of facing three lovely faces she was looking down at one, complete with platinum blonde hair and a smug look.

"Hey there Granger." He said, watching her slow down her pace down the stairs towards him.

Hermione, clearly upset, crossed her arms as she reached the bottom.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned.

"I came to see how you were doing." Draco said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Aren't you supposed to be traveling with Astoria to reach a conclusion for your wedding?" Hermione huffed, marching into the kitchen.

Draco followed her sniffing the air, "It smells really nice. I can't even smell the mold any more."

Hermione stuck her hip out as she looked over her cauldron she used yesterday night. The entire potion was gone; instead the apple remained in the bottom. Hermione picked it up and held it up in the light. It was a bright red and looked succulent to take a bite out of. Hermione shrugged and placed the apple down on the counter and moved around to clear the table off to have available space to knife and cut up food for today. She would have to worry about her experiment some other day.

"Are these Pumpkin Pastries?" Draco pointed at a rack full of the delectable treats Ginny and Hermione had made. Before Hermione could answer and warn him that they were for her guest tonight, Draco shoved one in his mouth. His eyes rolled back in ecstasy and he moaned.

"These… wow." He said taking another bite.

"Draco…" Hermione said in a warning tone.

"Did you make these Hermione?" Draco asked pointing at some cauldron cakes.

Hermione didn't have time to open her mouth before Draco had taken a bite of the cauldron cakes.

"_Mmmmh_. They're still warm!" Draco exclaimed.

"Yes," Hermione crossed her arms, "Ginny placed a spell on them so they wouldn't go cold or stale."

Draco raised his eyebrows, mildly impressed, "So what's the occasion. You made lots."

Hermione strained a grin, "I'm having a Halloween's feast."

"That's tonight? Halloween is tonight?" Draco asked.

"Yes Draco," Hermione said with a dry laugh, "Halloween is tonight. Did you just get in?"

Draco nodded.

"Explains why," Hermione sighed, "Have you been keeping up with the dates?"

Draco grabbed and orange and tossed lightly in the air, "No, it's hard to keep in touch with time when I've been all around the world. I just came back from Brazil."

Hermione picked up a fudge fang, "Really? What were you doing there?"

Draco picked up another fruit and juggled, "Bridesmaid dress for Astoria's sister Plus she met up with a local designer. I scoped out locations for the honeymoon. I think I prefer the Caribbean but it really comes down to what our parents decide."

"Ah," was all Hermione could come up with. She watched Draco foolishly try to juggle as he picked up an apple. Hermione shook her head and began taking out pots and pans that were needed later on for the main course. She shouldn't waste another second bothering Draco with polite questions when there was so much to prepare before her guest arrive.

"Draco, you have to leave soon." Hermione muttered.

"Mmm hmm." Draco muffled out.

"I'm serious," She exclaimed.

Hermione heard some shuffling and a loud thump behind her. She assumed Draco's juggling attempt didn't work out too well for him. She clearly heard the dropping of the fruits seconds later, rolling around on the floor in her peripheral vision.

"Hey Draco, mind not fooling around? I have enough to do without you messing with my time." Hermione snorted.

After the response of a silence as quiet as death Hermione sighed, "Draco I think it's time for you to go. Ginny, Molly, and Fleur should be here by now. I don't want them to see you. It might give them the wrong impression, plus… no one knows that you've been a decent human being to me lately. I'm not sure how they would react."

Another silent response.

"Draco?" Hermione whined, turning around to face him, "Can you_ at _least… Draco?"

To her horror, Draco was on the ground, sprawled out looking like he was about to knock out, for good. Most of his energy was used on breathing and slowly blinking up at her. Hermione kneeled next to him and scooped his head up, tilting it towards her.

"Draco!" She called, "Draco, what happened?"

He merely blinked once. Hermione dragged his limp body on her lap and examined him. His face was pale, well, paler than usual and it was cold to the touch. His eyelids were droopy but somewhat alert. Hermione, desperate to figure out how to help him to get him out before her guest arrived, scanned around the kitchen. Her eyes fell on a single item: an apple that rolled away some feet away from them had a bite taken out of it.

Hermione stared at it before looking around for the apple that she had used for her potion. It was nowhere in sight. Hermione exchanged glances between Draco and the apple, gripping on to his body so he wouldn't slip back to the floor.

Had he _really_ taken a bite out of the apple she used for the potion?

Instead of panic, Hermione felt a sense of accomplishment as she looked back at Draco. Had she done it? Has she really figure out a new use for dragon's blood? Hermione propped Draco up against the kitchen cabinets in a sitting position. Draco drooped and slumped over his legs as Hermione reached out for the apple. She pushed Draco back up against the cabinets and held the apple up in front of him.

"Draco did you eat this?" She asked.

Draco blinked slowly.

"Did you grab this? Was it next to the cauldron?" She asked aggressively.

He blinked once more.

Hermione loosened her grip on the apple, letting it drop to the floor as the realization hit her.

Hermione did it.

She discovered a new use!

Hermione stood up and punched the air in a victory shout. Draco's body sagged to the side.

"Yes!" Hermione celebrated. She squatted down to sit Draco up right again.

"Draco I did it!" Hermione explained, "I discovered a new use for dragon's blood!"

And without thinking and without really having a reason other than sheer excitement, Hermione grabbed the collar of Draco's shirt, pulled him close, and placed a kiss on his lips. Instantly, she felt the limp body underneath her gained his strength back.

Hermione pulled away staring into his eyes. Realizing what she had just done and how he was reacting to it startled her. Her excitement sluggishly drained from her. Draco's eyes widen as he picked himself up to properly lift his own weight to sit.

"I'm sorry." Hermione felt her eyes fill up with tears, "I didn't… I was excited and in the moment."

Draco shifted his body around and advanced towards Hermione who was blubbering and working herself up. He waited until she looked directly at him.

When she did, she wiped away tears that were rolling down her face in big fat drops repeating something about being out of line and was regrettably sorry for her actions knowing fully how he felt about people like her.

The moment Hermione had paused her rambling for just a second Draco leaned forward and returned the kiss.

He watched Hermione as she was left dumbstruck. He pecked her lips over and over again until her eyes fluttered shut. Draco inhaled and eruption of goosebumps covered his entire body as he wrapped his arm around Hermione and brought her closer to him, up against the cabinets where he previously sat. Hermione tensed up as he lifted her but completely melted into him as he rested her on top of his lap.

Much to Draco's pleasure, Hermione was responding to him quite well. Hermione didn't hesitate to let Draco in a moment later. In fact, it wasn't sure if it naturally happened or they both decided to deepen the kiss at the same time. Whatever the reason, the both of them were a bit too busy to think about that sort of thing.

He traced his fingers up and down her back holding back the urge to slip his hand under her shirt. He deeply regretted a second later when Hermione peeled herself away in shock. Her hand covered her mouth as she looked around the room in sheer horror.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. Hermione was perturbed that she had let a simple thing like figuring out another use for Dragon's blood build up to this. What was she thinking?

And most importantly, what was _he _thinking?

Draco helped Hermione to her feet as he steadied himself on his own. He pressed his lips together, trying to place the pieces together on why he would make advances on Hermione, his once sworn enemy in school.

Hermione gulped, "You didn't mean that, did you?"

"Huh?"

"That, what just happened." Hermione answered.

Draco cleared his throat, "Uh… well errr no. I was thanking you."

"Thanking me?" Hermione repeated, "Yes! You were_ thanking _me! What for? Why were you thanking me?"

Draco fumbled around with his words and with his hands, trying to figure out a reason to validate his kiss.

"Because if it wasn't for _your _kiss, I would have been still on the floor, limp." Draco pieced together, "And to congratulate you… for your findings. I didn't know you were working on the dragon's blood already."

Hermione felt her face flush, "Yes um, I am and you're welcome."

"Good work, Hermione." Draco awkwardly added.

"You too." Hermione replied, patting down her hair.

They stood in silence not knowing what to do next. They could hear their heavy breathing but they had no desire to stop it or to conceal they were both completely in shock that they just kissed much less liked it.

"You should leave." Hermione said after a few minutes passed.

Draco sprung into a walk, immediately heading towards the door, "Yes, I need to unpack and give my clothes to the house elves to wash."

Hermione followed him out walked him towards the door. They stood there for another extended moment. They avoided the others gaze and when they did happen to lock eyes, they would startle themselves and immediately glance away. Hermione cleared her throat and held out her hand.

"Well it was nice to see you again, Draco. _Malfoy_." Hermione corrected herself, "Nice to see you Malfoy."

Draco on the other hand felt silly. He relaxed, running his hands through his hair and chuckled.

"We kissed Hermione, it's not a big deal." He shrugged, "Just a kiss."

Hermione frowned, "Right."

"We can act like adults." Draco nodded, "Right?"

"Yes adults." She repeated, "But you're getting _married_."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yes, I am. But once again, it was a _kiss_. Nothing more."

Hermione nodded, "Alright then if you're willing to put it past you, then I will too."

"Good."

"_Great_!"

Draco and Hermione stared at each other one more time before Draco tore his eyes away.

"I should get going." He mumbled.

"Alright."

He reached out, combed his fingers into the back of Hermione's hair and brought her in for a tender kiss on her forehead. She gave him a furious look as she wiggled away.

"Draco!" She hissed.

"One for the road." He smirked and tipped an imaginary hat to her. She crossed her arms, trying not to smile at the uncanny turn of events. Really.

Draco and Hermione _kissed?_

Hermione was sure that not even Ginny would believe her. She bit her lip as she watched Draco head off but before he got too far from her, he ran back up the doorsteps and place a kiss on her forehead again before pecking her lips one last time. They shared another deep kiss that was interrupted by Hermione snorting. Draco pulled away, his face hard as if she had just insulted him. She beamed up at him and he broke down. He chuckled at Hermione who clapped her hands over her mouth to prevent her from laughing.

They both smiled at each other, before erupting into a fit of laughter as if they had just shared an insanely funny joke.

"Malfoy is that _you_?"

Two heads turned toward the gate, where the voice had originated. Hermione's eyes widen as she discovered Harry, holding two bags full of food, at the edge of the gate. Draco cleared his throat, excusing himself as he approached Harry. He bowed his head at Harry before quickly disapperating, leaving a tiny could of dirt in the air the hung right next to Harry, who gave her a curious look.

Hermione cleared her throat and motioned Harry in.

* * *

><p><strong>And this is the part were you send me a review begging me to write in more Dramione fluff because your life depends on it. : )<strong>

**_Review._**


	14. Chapter 14

**So, I know you guys are expecting more fluff BUT patience. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Fourteen

ooo

"Harry let me _explain_." Hermione begged.

Harry placed the bag down on her kitchen table, unpacking the various foods he had brought with him, including two hams Hermione was expecting to cook with Molly.

Harry shrugged, not pausing to unpack, "Alright, explain."

Hermione opened her mouth but slowly closed it again. She felt stupid. Even the truth sounded like a made up story to excuse herself from the scene that Harry had witnessed.

Harry cleared his throat, "Go on, then."

"I rather not." Hermione clasped her hands behind her, "You'd think I'm lying."

Harry shook his head, "I didn't know you had forgotten about Ron."

Hermione became furious, "I did _NOT _forget about Ron!"

Harry instantly brought her to a hug, trying to calm her, "Shh, 'Mione. I didn't mean it that way. I meant in here." Harry placed a hand on his chest, "Your heart has been mending, like it should. You don't have to prove that you love him by being miserable forever Hermione. We all know you loved him with all you had while he was still here."

Hermione felt her chin quiver, "That doesn't explain Draco. I promise Harry it was in the moment. He's getting married and I'm disgusted that I've done this to Ron."

Harry frowned, "I might question your insanity about your decisions but I'll have a talk with Draco."

Hermione stopped him, "Harry, he's been helping me. Don't scare him off, he's going to drift away anyways."

"I think I know he's been helping." Harry smirked.

"Please, not a word to anyone." Hermione begged, "I'll stop seeing him, promise!"

Harry threw his arm around Hermione, "I'll tell the ferret you're off boundaries and this never happened. I don't see anything out of a stupid kiss. What's the worse that could happen? You two getting married?"

Hermione nodded, agreeing with the silliness. Harry was right, what could come out of a stupid kiss. It was one time. Seconds later, Fleur and Molly were escorted in by a nauseous looking Ginny. Molly and Fleur took in every detail of the manor, unable to believe that Hermione had fixed it up to restore its former handsome self. Ginny pulled up a chair and sat down, her chest heaving up and down.

"What's wrong?" Hermione kneeled next to Ginny, holding her clammy hand. Molly chuckled and patted Hermione's back.

"Oh don't mind her, she's a bit woozy from the floo powder." Molly grinned down at her daughter, "All she needs is a cup of tea to settle her stomach."

Ginny touched her face, "I hadn't felt this way since the first months."

"Rest Ginny." Harry advised, "I'll help with the cooking."

Ginny nodded.

Fleur gently touched Hermione shoulder, " 'Mione? Will you 'elp with ze oven?"

Hermione stood up and quickly showed Fleur how to work the oven. It was some what similar to a muggle gas oven except there was no gas involved and the matches had been replaced by a handy wand.

The kitchen was soon filled with sizzling and heavy scents of dishes being prepared for the festivities. Fleur was talking about the black sleek dress she chose to wear underneath her cloak that night. Ginny sulked in the corner over the fact that she couldn't wear something skimpy or revealing without looking like a pumpkin. Still, the chatter and the laughter was uplifting and even Hermione had forgotten about that morning. Streamers were being hung in the ballroom. The finishing touches were being place on the food. Guest were slowly tickling in from the fireplace and before Hermione knew it, there was a crowd of people in her kitchen trying to get a nibble of the food. Molly shooed everyone out, almost tripping over Percy and his wife Audrey's, twin girls who were barely learning to walk. Hermione swooped over, scooped Lucy and little Molly up from the floor. Percy was quick to take little Molly out of her arms.

"They can be a handful." Percy lightly chuckled, "Almost a year old and they're already taking their first steps."

Hermione smiled, "Is George and Angelina coming?"

Percy cooed at Molly patting down her dark red curls, "Yes, not sure if they'll be bring Freddie along."

Hermione paused, "Freddie?"

Percy smiled, "Angelina just gave birth."

Hermione was over whelmed, as the bouncing Lucy giggled in her arms.

"It's a lot of grandchildren. How are your parents taking it?" Hermione asked, pinching Lucy's nose.

"Oh well, they're excited!" Percy chuckled.

Hermione turned her attention to Lucy, a beautiful chubby-cheeked baby girl with dark red curls like her sisters. Her honey-colored eyes offset the freckles on her light colored skin. She was everything Hermione had once dreamed off. In fact, when she took a look around she noticed there were a couple of red-headed tykes.

Percy's twin girls.

Bill's and Fleur's Victorie and tiny precious Dominique who had just turned two months ago.

George and Angelina had arrived alone, just as Percy suspected but they had plenty of photos to go around. Hermione took one and noticed a beautiful ebony baby boy. Although his hair was as dark as his skin, Hermione could spot out the tiny freckles forming on his tiny nose.

And to think that Charlie was introducing his new girlfriend to the family and that Ginny was very pregnant, about to introduce a new member of the family. It over-joyed Hermione.

She couldn't help but to feel excited to for everybody. There were a couple of familiar faces in the sea of people. Hermione spotted Dean Thomas with Neville and Luna as Molly ushered everyone to sit in the dinning room. Hermione quickly escaped to fix herself up and slip into the black lacy dress she had bought for the occasion. She cloaked herself and ran back down to the dinning room, where everyone cheered to see her.  
>Hermione once thought the dinning room was unnecessarily big for her, now she questioned if it was big <em>enough <em>to accommodate a seat for everyone. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat.  
>"It is very nice to see you again Hermione. Here, take your seat." He motioned her to the head of the table. Hermione immediately decline to an insisting Mr. Weasley.<p>

"You are the host and the host deserves to sit at the highest honorable seat." He persuaded, "You deserve it."

Hermione reluctantly took her seat and looked down the long table, seeing every single face turn towards her. She turned away, overwhelmed to be getting so much attention but she put her fears aside and rose once again to her feet.

"If I can have a word." She shouted.

"You can have two!" Harry shouted back, causing an uproar of laughter and earning a smack from Ginny. The chatter settled down.

"I'd like to thank Ginny for talking me into having a Halloween celebration. I must admit she was pushy about the idea but I caved in, knowing that I might possibly face her pregnant wrath if I disagreed."

Ginny glared at her.

"But in all honesty, I'm very glad I let her walk all over me because then I would have miss the opportunity to see your lovely faces." Hermione gulped, "The last time we were together, was for the unfortunate passing of Ronald…

There was a silence that indicated everybody was holding on to their breath, looking at Hermione wondering how she would react speaking of her late lover.

"… but Ron was selfless. He never complained, loved everyone so fiercely, and most importantly had a humor that could life the spirits of anyone. It's hard to be bright and happy like he wants us to be when he was our source of it. But I know, somewhere deep in my heart, that he'll never leave us. So let us forget the pain and sadness and try to be cheerful in memory of him because if he was here, that's all he would want."

A murmur exploded, all agreeing with Hermione. Some looked to her in admiration, others dabbed their eyes but the main response was a positive one, and after Hermione's short speech there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Hermione was doing well.

"And," Hermione shouted over the voices, "As Ron would say-"

"_Can't we just eat already?_" Harry shouted, taking the words right out her mouth.

Hermione laughed as the food floated out of the kitchen in a single straight line, hovering above them, each plate reaching the intended guest.

Hermione was about to dig into the streaming plate of food she was craving since Molly began to cook when she noticed a tall figure enter the dinning room.

The fork that she was holding slipped out of her hand and clattered on her dinner plate. The tall figure smirked at her and took an empty seat next to Harry and Fleur.

"Viktor Krum." She whispered out. She glanced away, missing Harry who was trying to hide a smile.

ooo

"Another brandy!" Hermione shouted, followed by a loud cheer.

Hermione felt warm and giddy, after the hearty meal and a great discussion over the past Hermione felt the need to bring out the drinks to loosen everyone up. Ginny, offered to take care of the children while the rest of them drank.

"I'll 'elp," Fleur offered, "Between 'oo and me. I just found out em expecting too."

Ginny and Hermione cupped their mouths with their hands in shock. Ginny was ecstatic to have someone else help her even if it was former Phlegm. Hermione vaguely remembered them round up the kids and ushered them up-stairs but Hermione did remember having four or ten drinks afterwards, kinda.

As she shouted for another round, cups surrounded her and she tried her best to pour them a bit of brandy without spilling. It was impossible but she thought she handled the task pretty fairly.

_Tasks…_

Hermione spotted Viktor with Harry and she stumbled over to them, holding on to Harry for balance.

"Harry. _Harry._ Listen to me." She hiccupped, "You were amazing in the Triwizard Tournament. Like, _bloody _fantastic!"

Harry's glazed eyes widen, "You mean it?"

"Yes, but Viktor was like just as incredible!" Hermione reached out to pat Viktor's thick shoulder, "Viktor you have to show me how to ride a broomstick, Harry here is no help."

"What?"

"He gets really caught up in it, he makes a horrible instructor. He's actually pretty fair at teaching other things but flying? No." Hermione waved her hand in the air.

Harry's face twisted. He took the brandy that Hermione was holding and left wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand.

Hermione, about to follow Harry for the brandy, was pulled back by the arm by Viktor.

Hermione giggled, "_Noooooooo_! My brandy!"

He laughed at her silliness and pulled her close, "Do you mind if ve took a valk? Outside?"

Hermione stunned by the question, nodded. Letting herself be led out by Viktor. He was very helpful in guiding Hermione uncoordinated feet as they slipped outside and headed for the gate. Krum was respectful as he always was. He only laid a hand on her when she needed something to control her balance.

"How have you been?" Hermione asked, "It's been a while."

"Good." He nodded.

Hermione snorted, "That sounds wonderful, how did you get the invitation? It was a surprise seeing you walk in."

"Harry." He simply said, "I vasn't expecting to come. I haf training you see..."

They continued walking down the beaten path in the opposite direction Hermione usually took to Mere.

"I'm very sorry to hear about Ron." He spoke softly, "I was very sadden over your heartbreak."

Hermione became much less animated, "Oh yes…"

Viktor kept walking towards a dark silhouette dotted with lit windows. Every once in a while he would look back at Hermione who was staring blankly at the ground. He chuckled to himself, muttering in something in Bulgarian then, pointing out the other Manor.

Without warning Hermione dropped to her knees and began to wail.

Startled Viktor kneeled by her side but she swatted him away. Any type of help he offered was rejected to the point where Viktor forced himself on her to pick her up. She kick and screamed until she tired out and Hermione resorted to sobbing. All she would say is

_"What have I done? What have I done?" _over and over again. Krum carried her back to her Manor and tried his best to calm her weeping down.

"Shhhh," He hushed, " 'Ermione. Don't cry."

Hermione couldn't help herself. Perhaps it wasn't the _best _idea to drink since she hadn't done so in such a long time and in her condition. Granted, she was doing much better now but she couldn't help that she had done so much wrong. Nothing she was doing would Ron ever agree with.

Moving far away.

Fixing up a bloody old house.

Cleaning.

Having Draco over as much as she had.

_Kissing _Draco.

She felt like a hypocrite. _Bring honor to his memory…_ She scoffed. She's done nothing of that sort. She's been a disgraceful fiancé that's been prancing around like some stupid girl. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she vowed to hurry up the second experiment to see Ron again.

" 'Ermione." Viktor repeated, "Are you okay?"

"Yes." She lied quickly, adding a giggle for effect, "Just the drinking I suppose. Brings out the worst in people sometimes, don't you think?"

Viktor flashed her a half smile, "Not for Bulgarians, no."

"Not even a little?" Hermione lifted her hand to show her index and thumb pinched together.

The bulky Bulgarian leaned over and whispered a slur of things to Hermione's ear. With each passing word, her brows rose in annoyed astonishment.

"Really?" She said.

"Bulgarian drink this like water. None of you vould last in our drinking games." He proudly bragged.

Hermione, clearly unimpressed, frowned, "Fuck off."

And with that she left.

ooo

Astoria and Draco shared a laugh with their parents as they welcomed them back from their trip. Draco, according to Astoria's observation, was detached from their dinner. He would relentlessly look out the window, letting his mind wander off. Astoria couldn't help but to think that he was thinking of a certain someone, and that wasn't her. She felt her insides ache. She didn't want to resort to this but it was the only way to secure her future, _their _future, she had to do this. Their trip they had taken had not placed Draco in his respectful place and that was beside her. Although they had been affectionate toward each other, as they always have, Astoria sensed something different about him. Perhaps he was scared about the wedding but Draco always discussed his fears with her. Always.

"What a wonderful Halloween." Astoria sighed, "One of the many to come, I hope."

Draco fidgeted.

"Toast to that." Draco's father, Lucius, raised his cup.

"Mmm, I could smell the pumpkin pie." Astoria's mother sniffed, "Delightful."

Much to her pain and pleasure, Draco excused himself to check up on the elves in the kitchen, explaining that he too was looking forward to the pumpkin pie. Astoria stood up the moment he was out of sight and cleared her throat.  
>"I'm very sorry." She apologized, "But I feel like something is off."<p>

Her parents exchanged glances with Draco's parents.

Her mother smiled at her, "Astoria, please. We all had an exhausting day. There's no need to apologize. This dinner is excellent. It is exactly what we needed to have after a long day today."

"We went over the pre-settlements of the engagement." Malfoy's mother spoke up, smiling, "Maybe in a couple of months we can actually move on to the real dowry and then we can really plan the wedding. I'm sure it would be one for the books. I'm sure it would be the one to top Potter's."

"Months?" Astoria whispered.

Lucius snorted, "I suppose having a wedding in a farm house surround by pigs _was _the wedding of the century. I'm disappointed I didn't get invited."

They all snickered.

Astoria closed her eyes and shook her head, "As I said, I apologize. I don't mean any harm."

She pulled out her wand watching the reaction of her family. Before they could fully react, Astoria waved her wand.

"_Imperio._"

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think as I write more upcoming fluff.<strong>

**_Review._**


	15. Chapter 15

**I see that plenty of you were angry about Astoria and your questions will be answered at the end of this chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Fifteen

ooo

Hermione woke up to an empty home. She twitched into a sitting position, forcing herself from sleeping any longer. She considered that a huge mistake after feeling the blood rush to her head which intensified the pounding throb. She groaned, holding her head with both of her hands. The last time Hermione was this hungover was… well, now that she thought about it she really hadn't experienced a hangover much like this one.

The memories of last night flooded back in. Some very loud ones, some very embarrassing, yet all the memories included her pouring her bottle into every empty cup she saw and toasting to herself after someone had made her laugh. Hermione couldn't imagine the state of her home after the whirlwind disaster she brought upon it.

She swung her legs to the edge of the bed and paused. She listened carefully at the silence. It wasn't until the thud of her feet landing on the floor that confirmed that no one was in her home. Not a single soul. Hermione found it strange after insisting that everyone should stay the night over to keep her company and keep the party going. Hermione had to be honest with herself and accept that she couldn't remember anyone departing… How drunk was she?

Venturing out into her manor proved her thoughts, there was not a single soul around. And much to her disappointment, everything was spotless. Hermione had a couple of people in mind to blame for leaving her chore-less the day after the party. The girl quickly found herself in the lobby area staring around; up the staircase, left towards the kitchen, right to the Ballroom. Everything was exactly in its order.

Hermione surprisingly enough didn't know whether to be mad or relieved that she didn't have to lift a single finger to salvage what she remembered as her trashed home.

Hermione even desperately looked outside hoping the garden was a mess to have something to clean up but even her prestigious lawn remained flawless. It was something to behold. Hermione had even impressed the neighbor's gardener with her meticulous work and dedication to her garden. It used to blossom the most wonderful flowers before the fall came in. Now it was lifeless, a very neat lifeless garden.

Hermione pounded her forehead against the window, recalling last night's events. The alcohol only opened some wounds that had healed but it was almost twice as painful than actually receiving the wounds in the first place. Still, as counter-productive as it sounds, the more she drank, the more she forgot about it. The only thing she couldn't get out was kissing Malfoy that morning and the thought of it was bugging her that night as much as it was bugging her that morning.

"Stupid prat." Hermione sneered.

She gave up looking for something to do and decided what to do with the extra time on her hands. The second she figured that working on her experiments was best, there was a knock on the door. Hermione was about to take the first step up the stairs when the knocks distracted her.

She cocked her head and slowly approached the door. She had a feeling it was either Draco or… well she didn't know who else it could be. Draco was perhaps the only person she knew that would visit her unannounced.

She swung the door open and was shocked to see Astoria.

The slender girl gripped on to her black clutch and courteously smiled at her. Upon realizing the familiar face of Hermione, she took a step back and shook her head.

"I'm very sorry to bother you Granger. I had no idea you lived here." She apologized.

Hermione was surprised that Draco hadn't mentioned that to Astoria. It's not something you keep from a significant other but Hermione figured its not something he could just nonchalantly bring up as if it was nothing.

Hermione blinked twice at her and cleared her throat, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Astoria lowered her gaze at her and gave her a cheeky smile that sent a fear that shook Hermione's foundation. Was Astoria here because she some how found out about… does she have any idea that Draco and her had shared a kiss? Astoria stepped in, forcing her way in gently.

"Yes, actually." She looked around with raised eyebrows, "I think you can help me with something."

Hermione bit her lip, trying to not look guilty, "And that is what?"

"I would like to look around your house." She said, appreciating her surrounding, "I find it quaint the way you fix it up and decorated it."

"It's not for sell." Hermione shot back.

"I assure you I'm not looking to buy it." Astoria sighed, "Now please, show me around. I assume you have a large backyard."

Hermione gritted her teeth to stop herself from answering but a small _yes _slipped out and she became angry with herself.

"Yes. Excellent. What are you going to show me first? By the way, is staircase is divine." Astoria complimented.

Hermione spent the rest of her afternoon unwillingly showing Astoria around her home. She nodded approvingly at the Ballroom, commenting at the spaciousness of it. She loved the Dinning room. The Kitchen impressed her. All ten rooms were all a surprise to her, insisting that she loved every single one of them.

"What about the dungeons?" She asked.

Hermione gave her a look, "There are no dungeons."

Astoria paused and then broke into a smile, "That's perfect."

Hermione, unable to resist any longer fought back.

"I'm sorry, what's _perfect_?" Hermione asked, "You said you weren't interested in buy the house so why are you here?"

Astoria bit her lip and sighed, "May I see the backyard now, I'll explain as we walk."

Hermione unwilling to cave in, decided it was best to hear what Astoria had in mind for her manor. If she wasn't interested in buying it then why in the world would she reach out to her and demand for a tour of it.

"Well I must say, you have done such a wonderful job on the manor." Astoria flipped her perfectly chestnut hair over her shoulder, "I find your place charming."

"Thank you…" Hermione cocked her head, leading Astoria to the back.

They both took a step outside. There was a concrete porch resting next to the glass conservatory where a brick walled caged them in from the extending backyard that was only an empty meadow that Hermione maintained very well. A large set of stairs led down to the meadow that had lost it's luster in the mist of the cold fall.  
>Astoria nodded in approval.<p>

"Wow." She whispered, "This is exactly what I want."

Hermione crossed her arms, "I'm sorry but what is it that you want?"

Astoria sheepishly smiled, "I'm sorry I have been so vague but I think your manor is perfect for my upcoming nuptials."

Hermione's eyes widen, "You want _my _manor for your wedding?"

She nodded and turned back around, breathing in hopefully, "I always though this manor was a waste and it took you to bring out the beauty in it. I love the work you have done."

Hermione was inches away from mentioning that Draco had helped with it too but she bit her tongue. She quickly dismissed the thought and decided to go for another route.

"I'm sorry to say but I don't think this manor will be in my possession in a years time." Hermione shrugged, "I think by the time your wedding nears, this manor with be under a new owner. I can not give you the rights to use it for a night. I apologize."

"When do you plan to give it away?" Astoria frowned.

Hermione shrugged, "Maybe in a couple of months. In April. I will give this Manor over to Harry's godson for his birthday. He'll be turning 6."

Astoria snickered, "My, my, my. Such a giant gift for a small boy. Well if it isn't too much to ask for, I still insist on my request."

"I _won't _be in possession of this house. You would have to go through Harry." Hermione raised her voice, in order to get her point across. She was annoyed at how persistent Astoria was and it reminded her somewhat of herself when she was younger.

"Ah no, sorry for not clearing this up." Astoria apologized, "My wedding will be on New Years Eve. Two months to be exact."

Hermione felt a pang in her chest.

"Two months?" She repeated.

"Yes, I find Draco's Manor too… masculine." She sighed, "I don't even want to think off the time I would have to waste ordering the house elves to clean out the dungeons. No one has used them in a long time but if there's a wedding, every inch of the manor has to be cleaned."

Hermione gulped, "I see."

Astoria sighed dreamily at the thought of having her wedding ceremony out in the back with a tent. She was already planning of the dinner to serve in the Ballroom. She also secretly hoped it would snow. She leaned against the brick wall bordering the porch watching several squirrels run around the open field gathering the last of their winter food supply.

"So would your mother approve?" Astoria asked.

"My mother?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Or your father…" Astoria shrugged.

Hermione shook her head, "I live alone."

Astoria perked up, concerned, "How can you? I thought since Ron's death you would…"

Astoria stopped herself from continuing. Hermione crossed her arms and walked back inside. She was in no mood to listen to a girl fawn over her dream wedding when her dreams were ripped away. Astoria chased her inside, apologizing and insisting to hear her out.

"Listen Astoria I am not going to allow you to have your wedding here." Hermione hissed.

"You will be compensated and Draco and I could send you away for New Years! Where have you dreamed of going? Bermuda is beautiful…" Astoria begged, "Please, I don't have a budget. I will pay anything."

Hermione frowned showing her to the door, "Well I don't have price but I do have an answer and it's _no_."

Astoria glared at her as Hermione shut the door behind her. She muttered under her breath as she took a long look at the manor once more. Astoria was deeply sadden that she couldn't convince her into the deal. The house had a certain charm that would have been perfect for Astoria's vision of her wedding. She never thought she would like something more subtle and understated but if she couldn't get the location she wished for, then Astoria could settle for Draco's manor.

She frowned.

"If she wasn't so bitter…" Astoria grumbled, "She needs help. Living alone and becoming such an unwelcoming bitch…"

Astoria stopped and pondered at what she just said out loud to herself. She stood there, halfway to back to Draco's Manor in complete awe and shock. Her mind avert back to a piece of information that was etched in her brain.

**_…having a pleasant time with her. I had my doubts that she would completely reject you but from what you tell me, it seems like she's taking a liking to you. Perhaps you can get her to open up a bit more. It sounds crazy but I have this gut feeling that you can help her be fully happy again. _**

Although Astoria trusted that Draco would never involve himself with the likes of muggle-borns much less with someone like Hermione, she couldn't help but to think that the girl mentioned in the letter was Hermione.

Astoria pressed her lips together. She couldn't imagine it. She wouldn't dare think of Draco helping her because instead of feeling an intense anger toward the both of them she felt a drowning overwhelming fear of rejection. She had no idea why. Astoria assumed that every time her mind wandered to the possibilities of Draco cheating on her with Hermione, her throat formed a knot and her eyes filled up with tears that threaten to spill over.

She tried to convince herself out of those painful thoughts. She assured herself that that might have been a letter addressed to someone else. Draco mistakenly must of have taken possession of it. And now that Astoria thought of it, who knows how old that letter was! Astoria dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, fixing herself to be presentable enough for Draco.

Or even if it was for Draco and he was taking care of someone, there was no way he would associate himself with Hermione. He hated the mudblood in school. That fact was more notorious than that of Snape hating Harry. Astoria pursed her lips hoping she was right and in the case that she wasn't, she was very glad that she had managed to push the wedding day to a much closer date. There was less time for Draco to continue his stupid game and Astoria was sure of it. If Draco _was_ involved in something stupid like that he would have told her. There is no reason to hide something like that unless there's reason to hide.

Yes.

Astoria was certain that she had done the right thing. She would have to use a memory charm to specifically erase the memory of her using the Imperius curse of her parents and Draco's parents but it will be worth it. She even planned out to live in France after the wedding.

It wasn't something she was looking forward to. She had wished and expressed to stay in England but considering that there was an unknown threat on the island that was after her marriage she decided to move far away so Draco wouldn't be tempted to ever leave her if that were ever the case.

Astoria reached Draco's Manor and slipped in quietly hoping to avoid any elves.

"Oh there you are love." Draco chimed out from the office, over looking some work forms, "I was wondering where you went."

Astoria nervously smiled, "A walk."

"Without me? How dare you?" Draco teased.

Astoria laughed, "Needed some fresh air."

"Ah. I see." Draco looked up at her and cocked his head, "You look tense love, what's the matter?"

Astoria nearly kicked herself for looking too emotionally disturbed.

"Nothing. I heard news of our parents discussing our nuptials. Seems like they're really disagreeing." She lied, "I suppose I hate seeing them fight."

Draco smiled, "Don't worry about it. They'll settle it for themselves. Whatever they're fighting about, just remember, they're thinking about us. They want what's best for the both of us and it's wise to not intervene or rush these things. It's a very delicate process. You have to please everybody."

Astoria's smile faltered, "Yes… then I hope they take all the time they need. I don't want our marriage to start off rocky."

Draco smiled, "It won't. I promise you that."

"Promise," Astoria whispered to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know why I feel like explaining Astoria's motives but seeing how everyone hates her now (don't worry, I dislike her too but some of the reviews made me laugh. I never thought I'd receive such strong opinion on her. It <em>is <em>a desperate attempt of her doing to place an unforgivable curse on her parents and in-laws. The only thing she's worried about is the security of her future with Draco, anything that made be destructive to their relationship is a threat and she's only doing what she thinks is suppose to happen. **

**So, I promise you will be very annoyed with her BUT as a compromise, I promise more fluff here and there.**

**: )**

**_Review._**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ahhhh, another update! Sorry for the delay. I've been preparing to go back to school in the past few days. I leave tomorrow for college. Sad I know. I thought the Summer would last forever too. Moving on, so here's the next chapter. Can't say if you would like it. Will there me more Drama? Fluff? Dramafluff? Fluffy drama? Read and find out.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Sixteen

ooo

Draco yawned, prying his eyes open. He was tired, not because it was a late night but because he had a very early start and now, nearing lunch, was facing the consequences. His stomach growled and rejected the coffee Draco was sipping trying to keep himself alert. Draco would need his food sooner than he expected but he had no time. He was at work trying to help the Ministry organize the next World Quidditch Cup as he was for the past months. Draco usually worked for the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes but due to the slow pace of work, he was assigned to help with the planning of the next Quidditch Cup in four years. The tournament was a worldly effort and even if the event was not located in England and was years off, Draco has been diligently working on the project and planning out visits to Canada, where it will be located, to scope out plots of open land to have the event. He was part of the Organization and Concealment division and it was no easy task to be apart of this project this early on.

In a couple of months Draco would have to leave. He thought back to Hermione and hoped she would show a complete improvement so he wouldn't have to worry about her on his trip.

Draco imagined her scrunching her nose up, twisting her face in disapproval of his growing attachment to her. It something he constantly ignored in sake to keep everything clear and simple. He won't lie to himself, it seems like things have complicated a lot now but he was determined to carry out his orders to care for her.

"Mr. Malfoy, my congratulations on your upcoming marriage." Said a wizard Draco worked with, poking his head in. He was a former Ravenclaw, Roger Davies, and he portrayed an annoying repetitive trait that Draco found sometimes amusing but mostly irritating.

Draco waved him off, "Yes yes, I think you've said that a couple of times. Now, Roger, have you sorted through the paper work for permits? I need them."

Roger cleared his throat, "Yes, I've actually sent them in already."

Draco was surprised, "That's excellent. Can I have copies? I want to review them."

"Yeah. Should be an exciting New Years for you." Roger pipped up, conjuring the paper work with his wand. Papers flew from his office straight to Draco's.

"I suppose." Draco shrugged, snatching the forms from the air, reading them over.

"I thought you would be more excited for your wedding." Roger mumbled.

Draco, clearly confused, looked up and glared at him, "What are you getting at? My wedding is still undetermined."

Roger chuckled, "Pardon me but I assure you that my wife and I received an invitation just this morning."

Draco's mouth dropped. He looked at his watch and made a quick decision. In no time, he was collecting his winter robe and explaining orders to Roger to take over for today. Draco had to get to the bottom of this.

ooo

Draco apperated into his parents home searching for them as if his life depended on it. He found them in the lounge, enjoying a book by the fireplace. Draco announced his presence that delighted his mother. She rose from her chair and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh lovely to see you Draco." She said, squeezing him lightly, "We have been discussing the conditions of your marriage with Astoria's parents that we haven't had time to tell you a decision has been reached."

Draco took a step back.

"Isn't that wonderful Draco?" His father drawled.

"You've reached a decision?" Draco repeated, "How is that? Three days ago at our Halloween Dinner, you mentioned that a final decision was far from being made. How is it that you've gone through months of arguing in a matter of three days?"

"Two days." His father corrected, "It was a simple matter of compromise Draco."

"Tell me everything." Draco demanded, remaining incredulous, "I want to know everything."

His mother took hold of his arm and gently led him to an armchair. Draco plopped down, feeling a headache coming on. He convinced himself it had to be a bad dream.

"You and Astoria will be married on New Years Eve. It was an obvious decision. There will be plenty to celebrate on that day plus you'll start of the year with so much hope. There will be no prenuptial agreement. From the moment of the marriage everything you have will be hers and everything she have will be yours. I'm confident enough in the both of you that there will be no falling out. It is also required to have a child within the first five years of marriage." His mother explained.

Draco shook his head, "A child will come when time allows it."

His father cleared hi throat, "And I will not let time dictate what you think should be timely. Draco, you know that I'm sickly."

"You're not sick father." Draco shot back, "You're weak and you know what it is? This damn Manor. It's filthy and cold."

"Draco." His mother warned, "I demand you settle down. I will not have my child be so disobedient towards his parents. Hold your tongue."

He frowned.

"I find it surprising that Astoria hasn't mentioned this to you." His father coughed, "She was rather excited when she heard the news."  
>His mother lightly giggled, "Poor girl, she might be too busy with the planning of the ceremony that she might have forgotten to tell dear Draco. Imagine that?"<p>

"Yes," His father cracked a smile, "Can you imagine Draco being told of his wedding hours before presenting himself at the ceremony?"

His parents laughed, annoying him more than he already was.

"What else is there? How many people are invited?" Draco asked.

"Four hundred," His father spoke up, "All close family and friends."

Draco snorted. He doubted that Roger Davies was a close friend to be considered to invite to the wedding.

"Oh and the Honeymoon! You'll be leaving immediately after the wedding to Egypt. Your father and I found the perfect location to stay at. It's far from the cities for privacy and right next to the Mediterranean Sea. Then after a month's stay in Egypt your house should be finished." His mother explained.

"Where will we be living?" Draco asked.

"Dear boy, in France of course." His mother smiled, unnaturally.

Draco, without warning, walked out. He felt his blood boil and at the same time his hope draining. He didn't know what he was hoping for but it was quickly slipping away. He had thought, with time, he would warm up to the idea of marrying Astoria. After all, he had been with her for sometime now there had been no desire to stray away from her.

That is, before Hermione…

Draco kicked the nearest passing house elf and the moment he stepped outside he disapperated by Hermione's manor. He stormed up the path up to her door that he banged on with his solid fist. He assumed he startled Hermione because she cracked the door open, allowing her eye to scope out who had disturbed her peace.

Upon seeing Draco worked up, Hermione cautiously worded her sentences to not provoke him.

"Yes?" She piped up.

"I need to vent." He breathed out.

"I don't know if that's a good idea to do so here." She declared, "You're engaged…"

Their eyes connected. Hermione had trouble staring him down and frequently looked around his face because if she lingered too long in his eyes, she would submit to him.

"Please." He said.

Hermione gulped and widen the door to let him in. Draco stepped inside and let out a deep sigh. He looked at Hermione and shook his head.

"I'm getting married." He announced.

"You just received the news? You know when you're engaged to someone it's expected." Hermione rolled her eyes.

Draco glared at her, "I don't need your sarcasm Granger."

"Draco I'm sorry to be an ill host but I'm in the middle of something." Hermione confessed, "If you came here to complain, I think it's best to be discussing that to Astoria, not me."

"She's gone behind my back." Draco closed his eyes, "She's been planning the wedding without me. Like if she was hiding."

"I know."

Draco turned to Hermione and narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean by that? _I know_."

Hermione shook her head, "Nothing."

Much to Hermione's relief, Draco didn't press on. They both migrated to the Kitchen where Hermione brewed a tea for Draco, hoping he would calm down. He began to ramble on about how his parent's quick decision, all the preparation that has to be done that he has no time for because of his work, and he also quietly added his loyalty to her. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and begged Merlin he would shut up.

"I can't even imagine being married so soon." Draco sighed out.

"New Year's Eve isn't far off, is it." Hermione agreed.

Draco, who had made himself comfortable at the kitchen table, gave Hermione a look, "How you know it's on New Years?"

Hermione blushed and continued to finish up her brew of tea. She turned off the flames to the kettle and pours the boiling water into the teacups. The scent of herbs wafted dreamily into the air. Hermione inhale the scent and smiled to herself. She picked up the tray and approached Draco.

"Sugar?" She asked.

Draco studied her, "You didn't get an invitation. Have you?"

Hermione snorted, "Oh god no, I'd think it a joke if I were ever invited to you wedding."

"So then how do you know?" Draco persisted.

Hermione wasn't sure if she wanted to add fuel to the fire but decided that it was better if he knew. Hermione dropped two cubes of sugar into his cup and offered him milk. He denied, waiting for her answer. Hermione prepared her own tea before settling down across Draco, mulling things over.

"Astoria came by the other day." Hermione admitted.

"What for?"

Hermione paused.

"She wanted to use my manor for the ceremony." She revealed, "I had no idea you two had set a date."

"Don't tell me you took her offer!" Draco shook his head.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "How stupid do you think I am. Of course I wouldn't do such a thing. One thing is curious, though."

"What is?"

Hermione sipped on her tea, blowing on it to cool it off, "She was surprised to see me as if she had no idea I lived here."

Draco remained silent but listened.

"Draco, have you mentioned anything about me to Astoria?" She asked.

"How stupid do you think I am?" Draco mimicked, "Of course I wouldn't do such a thing!"

Hermione frowned, "And why not?"

"Have you told any of your friends that I have been over?" Draco challenged.

"That's different." She shot back.

"Is it?"

Hermione cleared her throat, "I don't want to argue with you. It's not the same so why have you mentioned that you've been visiting. It's not like we're involved, unless that's what you think Astoria would assume of you."

Draco smirked, "Oh we're _not _involved?"

Hermione clenched her jaw, "Is that what you think? That a kiss suddenly makes us _involved_? Seems like you're confusing a lot of things Draco. You can't possibly be thinking of me instead of your marriage to Astoria."

"And if that's happens to be case?" Draco threatened, "What if I happened to find you more interesting than Astoria?"

"You're mistaken." Hermione simply said.

"Is that so?" Draco scoffed.

Hermione calmly placed her teacup back on its saucer. She had been thinking of declaring this to Draco for the past days. It wasn't easy for her. It wasn't in her nature to be complete direct without regarding the feelings of others but it had to be done.

"Draco." Hermione started, "I'm very sorry to hear that you're doubting your marriage to Astoria but I believe it's time for this to end."

Draco cocked his head, "Ah, and why should we end it. I still have a duty to you."

Hermione groaned, "Stop saying you have a duty. You don't owe me anything! And although I do admit you have help me more than I thought you ever could, our relationship has run its course."

"No it hasn't." Draco shot back.

"Yes it has." Hermione argued, "Stop trying to deny it. Even the rush of your marriage is a sign that you chose to ignore. It's time to part ways Draco."

"No."

"Stop trying to drag this on." She shoved her tea aside, "Can you please be cooperative, for once, because I'm only going to ask you one time."

"No." Draco shook his head, "You can shove your request down your throat because I'm not going to comply."

Hermione disregarded him, "I wish that this will be our last conversation and that you leave me alone."

Draco shoved the chair back and stood back, "Are you insane? Had you any idea how much you have left to heal? I can't stop now. You need me as much as I need you."

"_Stop_!" She cried out, "Stop saying stupidities! You're not realizing that I'm fine now. You're the one who's becoming insane. Are you listening to yourself? Stop convincing yourself that we-"

"Stop denying Hermione." Draco pointed at her, "You know we share something."

"Draco! It was a kiss. Like you said, it was _nothing_!" She recalled, "Nothing! How is it that someone like you has mistaken that for something meaningful. You know what meaningful? Your marriage! Your future with Astoria."

"If it's nothing, then kiss me again." Draco tested.

Hermione froze, taking a good look at Draco. She had no idea when she had stood up herself to face Draco but now they were yelling at each other, circling the table like two defensive lions.

"No." She glared down, before abandoning the Kitchen for her room. She stormed out, jogging up the stairs to barricade herself in her room. Draco chased after her, grabbing her elbow to stop her from advancing further up the stairs.

"What are you afraid of?" Draco asked.

"I'm not giving in to your stupidities." Hermione rolled her eyes, "You can go kiss your reflection if you're that desperate."

Before she took another step, Draco pulled her back. She struggled against his strength as he pulled her into him.

"Let me go!" She yelled, "Stop it, Draco."

She was quickly overwhelmed as he proved to be relentless. She tried to wiggle out of his arms but he had an iron grip on her that made it impossible to move. She looked up to gasp for air since her face was shoved into his chest, restricting her from proper air. The moment she made herself vulnerable Draco went in for the kill. He caught her mouth with his, gently kissing her, savoring the feel of her. The change between his aggressiveness and how gentle he was caught her by surprise. She stopped fighting against him, frozen in her place. He released her, moving his hands to cup her face. In no time she had melted, reacting to his lips as they move with her. The same rush of lightheadedness she experienced the first time they had kiss had returned. It made her giddy and a feeling that she could only describe as honey over came her, slow and sweet.

Hermione lifted her arms, about to encircle her arms around his neck but all the warm feelings were disrupted. Her right sense of mind had kicked into overdrive and she shoved Draco away, yelling obscenities at him.

Draco chased her as she ran up the stairs. She stopped right at the top glaring at him.

"I could never fall for a deatheater." She spat, "Especially you."

Draco narrowed his eyes, "So then why did you? You think that I'm stupid and I can't tell how you feel from that kiss?"

"You're interpreting it wrong." She haughtily crossed her arms.

"You insufferable know-it-all." Draco shot, "You have no idea what I am willing to give up-"

"NO!" Hermione shout, "Don't you _dare _say that!"

"Say what? That I have been willing to go through all your insanities for the past months? That I enjoyed my time I share with you? You haven't been the easiest person to deal with as of lately, not even Ron would have put up with half the things that I've gone through with you!" Draco said, quickly realizing he went too far.

Hermione's outraged face immediately softened. Draco feared that she would hex him or push him down the stairs but she just stood there, clearly crumbling down. Her chin quivered and her knees bent, unable to withstand her own weight. It was a low blow and it's effects seemed to have harmed her more than Draco intended. She looked away, shamefully about to take her first faltering step away form him. Draco reached out catch her before she hit the ground.

She wept. Not like other times when her bawling was heard through out the manor. She remained silent as tears flowed down her face. Draco gulped, trying to wipe the tears for her cheeks. She stared up at him as he panicked.

"What have I done?" He said, trying to hold her, hoping that his love would be enough to heal her but someone had already harmed her, somebody had been there before him and those wounds were not his to heal. Ron unintentionally wounded her almost beyond repair and now that she had shown improvement, Draco reopened those wounds and he wasn't sure how deep they ran.

"Hermione…" He whispered.

She blinked up at him and closed her eyes, "Leave."

He stared at her in disbelief He couldn't leave her in this state. Harry would kill him.

"I can't." He whispered back.

"_Please leave_ and don't come back." She begged.

And without wanting to Draco obliged, hoping she would live to see another day.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh snap, Draco had to ruin it.<strong>

**_Review._**


	17. Chapter 17

**AH! I apologize for not updating in... over a week? I just had my first week of school and that never is the best week for me. I am a mess. I can never be organized and it takes me days just to get everything straighten out. Sorry about that I really hope this chapter makes up for it!**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Seventeen

ooo

Hermione spent the rest of November wandering her manor, studying every single detail of it. She considered turning the conservatory into a study but then mentally scolded herself. Why on earth would a six year-old use a study when there was large open field in the back to fly around in and play all day. Then again, why would a six year-old want a large home like this to live alone in. Teddy was quiet content living with his grandmother and would probably not appreciate a gift like house as much as he would appreciate a broomstick like he has been begging Harry to gift him for the past years.

Her time at the manor was done.

There was nothing to work for except for the few details like the books she ordered to fill up the library with magical books for Teddy if he was to ever wander in there and muggle fairytale books to keep him entertained. Hermione looked at the ownership papers she had locked away in her room. She planned to hand the papers over to Bernadette, the real estate agent and request to change the name of the owner of the manor. She will announce it over to Teddy on Christmas day and hope that he and his grandmother move in as soon as possible. After all, Draco had mentioned that Ted Tonks had brought the house to give to his wife before his untimely death. It _was_ rightfully theirs after all. Keeping it to herself will only make her selfish.

There was nothing else do to.

She had successfully restored the manor but, unfortunately, Hermione wasn't sure if she had restored herself. Having the extra time on her hands, Hermione would sit by a window with a book in her hands for days and days. Moby Dick to be exact. She would sit for hours staring at the same page, not exactly reading its contents. After the words were blur in and out of her vision, she would take a look outside at the fog that hung around the dying garden like a puffy blanket. The days grew cloudy and colder by the second, winter was no doubt threatening to begin its reign anytime soon but it held out for something. Maybe it was unsure whether it was the right time to let it snow.

Hermione scoffed, "The weather unsure? How could that be?"

She looked back at her book and closed it. There were another two hundred books that needed to be shelved or thrown away. Although it pained Hermione, she needed to toss some books out. Some of the cooking books she chose to place in the Kitchen were they were most convenient. There were some books too faded and questionable Hermione couldn't see how these books could benefit a home library. She thought it best to finally visit the attic to store the books away. She was expecting a package from Flourish and Blotts and she needed space to replace the books that were heading toward their final destination. Hermione had managed to clear out three entire rows to fill up and she had every intention to do so.

She worked well into the night sifting through books and volumes until she came across one of her very own books: Her experimental journal.

She smiled at the memory of having the premature hope that maybe one day she would get published for her work. Now, she had no desire to continue her study on Dragon's blood.

In fact, she had no desire for much as of lately. Ginny's baby shower came and went, politely refusing the Weasley's invitation to their dinner. She knew that Ginny would be upset with her and her absence might warn them of her regression but Hermione hope they knew there was nothing to worry about.

All she had been doing was looking up new places to live. Peru seemed like a nice place to live. It was warm year round and there was possibly a school she could teach over there if she could only get the hang of Spanish. Even in her earlier years, Hermione always struggled with Spanish. She did quite well with interpretation and reading but speaking wasn't always easy. Even at her time in Hogwarts Ancient Rune's was fairly easy because it wasn't a language spoken. Still the thought of being lonely held her back.

She was indeed lonely. She almost missed Draco's company when most of her adoptive family was preparing the arrival of Ginny's baby, working, and shopping for the upcoming holidays. There was no one to talk to or to fight with. All there was to keep her going was menial tasks to be done and changing the record player to another record. Days ago, while scavenging through the attic, Hermione stumbled upon an old record player and a stack of records shoved in a box. She listened to the unknown artist and the whole room filled with music from the 1920's. It's all she listened to. The stack of music she had discovered. It was a change to listen to melodies in the quiet home. It made things less gloomy. There's no use in pretending she actually missed Draco as a person. She missed his presence and that's all. But she had music now and it definitely kept her mind of him very often.

Hermione cracked her journal open and reread her first entry. She could almost feel her past excitement through the pages it almost tempted her to read on. She closed the journal before she could restore the vigor. She reached for another book and opened it. It fell on a page she read over and over again to herself at night.

"_A trip to the other side, where our dearly loved ones hide. A drop of Dragon's blood is all one needs, in a full bathtub with yarrow, chrysanthemum, and roots of the belladonna to proceed. Take with you a possession to bring you back, or be ready to be engulfed in black. This is the link back to your domain, stay for too long and your trip can be in vain. If one can accept loved ones are gone, they will appear to you until dawn…_"

The only element Hermione was missing was a possession. She supposed it had to link to Ron as well as it linked to her. She had nothing of Ron's to use and spent days pondering what it could be. She had abandon all hope of returning to continue the experiment when she realized she had nothing like that in her possession.

_"Hermione?"_

Hermione flickered her eyes up to the large archway entrance to the library. Draco was standing there. She was tempted to rub her eyes, wondering if it was her imagination that was faltering but the ghostly figure began to approach her and she sat there, still hoping that he was a figment of her imagination.

He stood next to he, hovering over her.

"I came to apologize." He spoke airily, not quiet sure if he was comfortable saying those words out loud.

Hermione looked up at him, shocked that she wasn't yelling up a storm as she half expected herself to do.

"Uh-huh." She said, not quite convinced, looking back at her book.

"What I said-"

"Can you fetch me some tea?" Hermione interjected, mumbling from behind her book.

Draco glowered, "Are you not going to listen to what I have to say?"

Hermione remained silent. Draco took that as a yes.

"I didn't mean what I said. Ron would have probably done a much better job at taking care of you than I would ever wish I could do." Draco leaned over, making sure is words were sinking in.

Hermione kept her eyes on her book, "You don't know that."

Draco kneeled at her feet, "Please don't make me beg. I don't need to hear whether you accept my apology or not. But please tell me something, _anything_."

Hermione closed her book, placing it on her lap, clasping her hands on top of it.

"Draco, I doubt you ever knew who Ron was. So don't compare what you've done to Ron because you'll be surprised in his character." She explained.

"He loved you." He shook his head.

"Love did not change his stubbornness." She shrugged, "If I knew my Ron as I hope I did. If he were in your situation, he would have apologized but never truly admit he was wrong. But please, let's not talk about it. Why don't we talk about how you went against my wishes? You returned."

Draco ducked his head, "I couldn't help it. After seeing you in the state I left you in, I forced myself not to come back the next day only because I feared to find you dead or worse hexing me. I would never forgive myself if I heard that you have harmed yourself."

"Well I'm still here." Hermione cleared, "And you've got your wish. I'm still alive and well now, please, leave Draco."

Draco sat there at her feet staring up at the book in her hands that blocked her face from view. Draco knew he had little time before he would leave and possibly never see her again. The upcoming wedding wasn't the only threat. His recent meeting with Harry had left him throwing a fit like the ones he used to have in his first year of Hogwarts. Draco ducked his head, closing his eyes, recalling the incident...

_Draco looked around the roomy living room. It wasn't as roomy as any of his living rooms but he supposed that Harry thought it was spacious... more spacious than a broom cupboard that's for sure. Harry politely signaled him to sit down and offered him a pumpkin pastry which he gladly took after experiencing the experience of Ginny's baking._

_Harry cleared his throat and immediately announced the reason for seeing him. He stood up, pinching the bridge of his nose as if the mere thought of having Draco sitting in his living room stressed him to the point of unraveling. _

_"From what I understand and what I witnessed the other day..." Harry sighed out, "It seems like you and Hermione have warmed up to each other."_

_Draco snorted. Was this the reason Potter called him for? Was he really concerned over a stupid kiss? Draco smirked. _

_He should be._

_"I don't see the harm in-"_

_Harry whipped around, "You don't see the harm your stupid decisions can lead to? Do you really want me to lecture you Draco? Are you not getting married very soon?"_

_Draco wiped the crumbs off his chin and draped his arms on the head rest of the squishy couch. He nonchalantly swept his eyes around the room, studying the living room that had knobs and bits that reminded him of Dumbledore's headmaster office. _

_"I don't think this concerns you." Draco drawled, "If you're worried that Hermione will fall in love with me, which I'm sure she already has, don't you think she's too smart to even fall for tricks like that?"_

_"Watch what you're saying Draco." Harry warned._

_"You asked me to watch over her and I have, to the best of my abilities!" Draco raised his voice, "A job you know you could have never provided. She's improving isn't she?" _

_Harry sighed, "I don't want her to be improved by you."_

_Draco sneered, "Well what do you intend on doing, speaking of Hermione of course."_

_Harry clenched his jaw and looked away, "I intend to protect her from any harm even if that means you. I thank you for helping her this far but I rather you step away now that's she better."_

_Draco laughed, "She's not better. She's been improving, Potter, it's two completely different concepts. I've been doing what you've ask of me and I will keep on helping her until she asks me to leave."_

_"Since when have I asked you to butter her up? To become a temporary distraction from a true heartbreak?" Harry spat, "I think it's best you two keep whatever you cooked up platonic."  
>"And what if I tell you she was the one who made the first move?" Draco challenged.<em>

_Harry eyes harden but a smile appeared on his face, "Then I don't expect Malfoy to really believe that someone in a state of near insanity is really hoping that Hermione was exposing what he confused as true feelings."_

_Draco's balled up his hands into a fist, "Are you threatened by the idea that there might be a small possibility that Hermione is in love with me?"_

_"Yes," Harry answered rather quickly, "Because I'm sure we both know that she deserves a lot more than you could ever offer her. And it sickens me that you have taken advantage of not only her weaken state but the death of my brother-in-law to play your cheap games before you get married. Even if you're intentions aren't as menacing as they seem, it seems unfair that you've realized how great Hermione is this late. It's unfair to Hermione and it's unfair to Astoria."_

_Draco glared, "Are you my guidance counselor?"_

_"Draco, I'm only going to ask this of you once. Don't bother Hermione again. Even if there was a loose screw in your head and had feelings for her. There is no way you could ever have her." Harry cleared his throat, "Like you said, Hermione isn't that stupid."_

All Draco remembered after that is storming out of Harry's house and apparating into his own, grabbing anything within his reach to fling to the wall. His temper got the best of him and old rivalry returned to him. If Potter said he couldn't have Granger... Well Draco was about to prove him wrong. His hands, that were laying by his side sprung into action, trailing his finger tips up her thigh, his body advanced toward her, placing those familiar gentle kisses on her.

"Draco…" She whimpered out, surprised at the sudden change in him. He place a kiss on her shoulder, taking the book from her and placing it on the table next to her, where a stack of books where still waiting to face their fate. He trailed his lips up to her ear where he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She shivered, trying hard to resist.

"Please…" She begged.

"Say you don't love me." Draco said between staggered an uneven breaths.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to say it because the moment their lips collided once more, she couldn't think of anything else because with his kisses were explaining a lot more than she could ever imagine.

She could feel a direct link to his emotions. She felt every inch of his regret. It was almost infectious. Just before she could fully understand his regret, his emotion changed. She felt his strong desire to patch things up between them even if it meant they won't see each other again, Draco wanted nothing more than to leave knowing they were on good terms.

Hermione felt wetness on her cheeks. She was tired of crying but she couldn't help it. She didn't want Draco to go but the mere fact that he belonged to someone else was reason enough to stop this.

Her first attempt to stop their fooling around was a fail. She pulled apart to look at Draco, about to tell him to stop but she found another perfectly good excuse to kiss him again.

Before they knew it they were standing up, never parting, peeling off unnecessary clothing. They stopped as Draco flung off his winter robe. Hermione should have stopped him there but allowed herself to be taken into his arms for another passionate kiss.

The third time was a charm. Draco shoved all the books off the table, all of them landing on the floor askew and disorderly. He pick Hermione up and laid on it, tenderly crawling above her, her hands exploring his skin under his shirt. Just when the inhibition was almost all gone, it came rushing back, to the both of them.

Draco stopped suddenly and ran his fingers through his white blonde hair. Hermione took the chance to roll away from him, and placed herself back on her own to feet. Draco looked mildly confused as to why he couldn't advance further. Hermione took it as a blessing.

"Draco," She softly spoke, "You're getting married."

He breathed heavily trying to catch his breath. He said nothing but he wanted to reason to Hermione that he had no desire to get married at all. Even if their path didn't lead to something as wonderful as that, he knew that it wasn't Astoria that should be in his future.

"And I'm still in love with Ron." Hermione closed her eyes, "It's something I fear will never leave me."

Draco's face twisted in pain, "Don't say that."

"Draco, have you any idea how this it harming both of us." Hermione insisted, "We can't do this. For whatever crazy excuse we made up to leave the past behind, it still happened and you know none of our families would allow it. We shouldn't have allowed _this_."

"I don't care." Draco shook his head, "I don't want to leave without knowing what this could have been."

"You're making this hard on yourself." Hermione pleaded, "Stop."

"Give me one night and I'll marry her." Draco grabbed Hermione so she could face him, "If not, I'll call it all off until you give in. One night, Hermione. How could this be harmful?"

Hermione forcefully shook her way out of his grip, "Are you kidding me? What are you trying to do? Black mail me into sleeping with you? I'm not a last fling you can have before you hop away into the distance with your future wife! All this is a mistake and you know it so why do you keep on insisting!"

Draco picked up a book and flung it violently at the wall, "Because I'm leaving forever Hermione. I won't be back and if you're content with leaving things unanswered then…"

Hermione frowned, "Where are you going?"

"France." He answered, "I saw the agreement and I won't be returning at all. Even the exchange of my job has been arranged with out my consent. It's all settled."

"Oh."

Draco now for some reason was angered by Hermione, began to collect his belongs that were thrown carelessly on the floor, "I suppose if you want it this way then you can have it."

Hermione studied his as he fastened the buttons to his winter cloak. A glimmer caught her eye, very much like how the jar of Dragon's did before.

"Is that a ring on your finger?" She asked, quite randomly.

Draco looked down at his hand, "Yes, my formal engagement ring. Astoria and I got them when we announced our engagement."

"A man wears one too?" Hermione questioned, perplexed.

"It's a custom in a pure-blood family. I suppose you wouldn't know anything about it." Draco selfishly remarked.

Hermione crossed her arms, "Right you are, and thankfully I'm very happy without customs like those."

Draco frowned at her and stood there, waiting.

"Are you not going to show me to the door?" He tapped his foot, impatiently.

Hermione's eyebrows rose, "Oh, I thought since you came in without my consent as you wished, you can go… as you wish."

She waved him off, pick up the books, making herself busy. She didn't wait for Draco to leave to begin look for the one book she had neglected for weeks now. Her journal. She had the sudden urge to continue her research. It was time to do what she formally wished to do.

Hermione thanked Draco for giving her the last piece of the puzzle she needed to see Ron again. Who would have known that because of Draco, Hermione would be able to reach an unreachable feat? Hermione snorted.

_Thank you._

* * *

><p><strong>I honestly hated this chapter and I didn't know why. I couldn't bear to change it drastically because I love the mood and the settling but up until the last minute, decided to include Draco's memory of meeting with Harry. I've had it written down on scrap paper because I was going to mention it in a later chapter but I decided to incorporated and I love how it turned out!<strong>

**_Review._**


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay okay, so one of you already figured out a part of the plot. Makes me happy that you get the story and I'm not just writing some confusing plotline that only makes sense to me! : D -high five!-**

**Anyways here's the next chapter and I shall post up the following on Saturday sooo...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Eighteen

ooo

_"Take with you a possession to bring you back, or be ready to be engulfed in black.  
><em>_This is the link back to your domain, stay for too long and your trip can be in vain…"_

Hermione ventured out to the outside of her gate. The first in a very long time. She hadn't been to Mere in such a long time, she even considered dropping by Teddy's Tea shop before apparating.

No.

She couldn't distract herself. She had a goal to achieve and she couldn't stray from her plan today. Hermione looked around for any prying eyes or a single soul that can witness her disappearing. She hesitated but she thought of the three D's: Determination, Destination, and Deliberation. She repeated those steps over and over again but she still remained at the front gates of her manor. Hermione furrowed her brows, knowing that her anxiety was disrupting her concentration. With one steady breath and focusing on her destination she was off.

She was suddenly squeezed into a tiny space, the manor smeared away along with her surrounding. All the greens and greys melted around each other until she popped into her destination. She felt a bit lightheaded and her limbs ached. Hermione completely forgot the sensation of apparition but now that she thought about it, it was never a feeling she was accustomed to begin with.

Hermione sighed, looking up at the house she hadn't visited in a long time. Several memories flooded her mind of this very house that she frequently visited on her time off. Some good, some bad but overall the tender moments she shared with Ron and Harry warmed her core on this very cold day. Unlike Wiltshire, where Hermione lived, the Burrow had been getting a bit of snow. Bits of unmelted snow hung around the Burrow in patches, making it seem like a crazy mismatched gingerbread house.

She neared the Burrow, raising her hand to knock on the old pink door. Before she could touch it, it swung open to reveal Mrs. Weasley looking at her with eyes brimming with tears. Hermione smiled up at her and was engulfed with a warm hug and a scent of baking goods. Hermione missed the smell. She was brought in with welcoming arms and Mr. Weasley who was in shock to see her around. As the ushered her in, Hermione couldn't help but to noticed how the burrow lost it's charm. Hermione shrugged away the thought, perhaps she was so concentrated on her task she couldn't feel the magic in the burrow at the moment. They sat her at the empty kitchen table with a plate of sweet's and coffee for her to indulge on. She politely smiled and nibbled on a scone.

They sat in silence for a moment. Hermione sat still, listening. The Burrow was awfully quiet and still. Hermione guessed that everyone had left. The children had grown up and moved on and formed their lives with others. It made the Burrow feel depressing now that everybody was gone. It was empty... perhaps that's where all the charm had gone.

"I'm sorry for missing Ginny's Baby Shower." Hermione apologized suddenly, not being able to take a single second longer of the silence, "Wasn't feeling to well that day. The manor gets drafty at times. Didn't have a sweater on, you see…"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head dismissing her excuse, "Not to worry dear. We all understand."

Hermione took a bite out of her scones and smiled, "I really miss all of you. I haven't seen anyone since Halloween. I suspect Harry is busy with baby business."

"I just came back from the Potters," Mr. Weasley beamed, as if he was proud to say his daughter was a Potter now, "I helped paint the new room. Harry was set on a forest green until Ginny convinced him that green was for Slytherin. They settled on Maroon with gold snitches."

"Mr. Weasley do you know if I can speak to Andromeda? I have something important to tell her. I've heard that she brings Teddy here frequently to play with the rest of your grandchildren." Hermione asked, "You see I wish to give Teddy my manor…"

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley eye's went as wide as saucers in disbelief.

"The manor?" Mr. Weasley repeated, "Are you sure?"

Hermione went on to explain how the house once belonged to Tonk's grandparents and that she has no desire to live in a house that wasn't rightfully hers. She did, however, keep to herself that it was Draco who had given her this bit of information.

"Are you sure dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Why not keep it for yourself until the boy is older? Or what if you begin your _own_ family there?"

Hermione sighed, "I thought it would be a great Christmas present. I don't need a home like that. It would have been great for a large family but not living on my own. I'll be looking for a flat soon. Maybe after the year is done."

"You just reminded me," Mr. Weasley cleared his throat, "We're having Christmas here, we would like for you to come. Please. You know we all love you very much Hermione and with or without Ron we would love for you to be a part of this family."

Hermione felt a dagger of pain stab her. She looked away trying to hold back tears. She felt unworthy of their kindness, especially now, betraying their trust and beliefs by fooling around with Draco. What was she thinking? She couldn't trust herself any longer. Mrs. Weasley placed a gentle hand on hers, giving her a reassuring look that made her feel better. Hermione gulped down the tears and sighed.

"Is it possible if I could… visit-"

"Yes dear." Mrs. Weasley piped up, "We've been waiting for you to but I suppose it can't be easy to return. It hasn't been easy for us as well."

Hermione nodded, "It's not. He was your son after all."

Mrs. Weasley painfully smiled, "But he was _yours_."

"Here," Mr. Weasley said, standing up, "Let us get our coats and we'll show you the way."

"No, that won't be necessary." Hermione announced, "I'd like to go by myself, if that's alright with you."

The Weasley exchanged looks and for a moment Hermione thought they were going to deny her request but they caved in. They slouched in defeat and gave her a simple nod to let her know it was fine with them. Hermione stood up and left for the door. The Weasley's were right behind her.

"It's down the meadow, away from the marsh. If you follow the orchard to its end you'll see the graves." Molly pointed out, "Be careful, 'Mione. At the end of the steps there's a bit of ice. Don't slip. Arthur here almost lost his balance this morning going to tend for the chickens..."

Hermione smiled and nodded, recalling the funeral that seemed like years ago. Hermione quietly thanked them, wrapping her scarf around her neck and slipping on her gloves. She jumped over the icy step and walked toward the graves, feeling the crutch of icy dead grass underneath her feet. Her heart thumped against her chest. She had no idea how she would react upon seeing Ron's burial site once more. The thought of it twisted her heart but the importance of the trip depended on her revisiting him again.

"You can do it." Hermione muttered to herself, trying to encourage herself.

The walk was a short one. Hermione reached the edge of the lifeless orchard and lay out in front of her was a small, unused plot of land that had two gravestones. Hermione shoved out the memories of the ceremony, trying to keep her composure. Inching closer, she began to think the task would be impossible to do, even if it was simple.

"You have to do this Hermione." She said out loud, "You _have _to."

Hermione was close enough to make out the inscriptions of the gravestones. She read Fred's first.

_"Saint-like too." _

Hermione felt a twitch on the corner of her lips, threatening to pull up into a smile. She then read on to Ron's and her sadness returned.

_"To live in the hearts of those we love is never to die." _

And Hermione could feel her heart swelling as it once did when Ron as alive. She finally reached him and fell to her knees, looking at the flowers that were sprouting out of the land. Hermione shook her head as she plucked out a chrysanthemum from the frosty ground. Beyond all reason, when the cycle of life had reached its end, this flower was still blooming as if it was still a fine warm day in spring. Hermione, picked several flowers, remembering that she needed them for her experiment. She looked at Ron's gravestone once more, remembering how she wept over it, grieving over her great loss. She found it funny how she came back for a different circumstance: to see him again.

Hermione set her jaw firm; ready to gain back a possession she left here. She stuck her hand into the dirt searching for a tiny piece of metal. It was a shock to feel the frozen dirt chill her skin even with the gloves to protect her. She dug around, taking off the top layer of dirt around the area she remember burying her possession. It felt chilling cold as her finger grazed the metal. Hermione had found her engagement ring. She pulled it out from the earth and wiped away the dirt it accumulated with her other hand. She examined it.

It still gleamed the same way it did when Ron first presented it to her, a cherished memory that made her laugh every time she would tell the string of events to her friends and family, with the full intent to embarrass Ron.

He had been so nervous that he dropped the engagement ring when he got down on his knee when they had visited Hogsmeade by the Shrieking Shack. His brothers had made fun of the location but only Hermione and Ron knew the significance it held to them. Hermione openly admitted to Ron that her first memory of knowing she had feelings for him was when they were standing by the Shrieking Shack in their third year at Hogwarts. Ron, surprised to hear her confession, chuckled at her because he always considered their lonely visit to Hogsmeade as their first date. He also mentioned he was always a bit glad that Harry got to miss out that year.

Hermione smiled.

There would be plenty to reminisce later but for now, she had to get back to the Burrow and say her goodbyes to the Weasley's because tomorrow night, she will be seeing Ron again.

ooo

"_Mmm,_ the hors d'oeuvres are delicious." Astoria said, winking at the chef.

The chef smiled in satisfaction, "I'm delighted you like them. What about you, sir?"

Draco sat by his future wife in a famous Muggle restaurant, hoping that the chef would cater for their wedding. He was mildly unimpressed by the food that was being served to him as a sample of what might be served at their wedding.

"I like it." He said with a shrug.

The chef, cleared his throat, clearly annoyed with Draco as it has been his only response to all the food that he has tasted. The chef excused himself, mentioning that he will be providing the drinks as well at the reception.

The moment he was gone, Astoria softly elbowed Draco's side.

"Would it kill you to be more responsive?" She scolded, "Your making a bad impression on the chef."

Draco sneered, "He's making a bad impression on _me_. Besides why are we here. Are all the decent wizard caters busy?"

Astoria glared at him, "Have you any idea how exclusive the chefs are here at Philip Small are? The food is the top of the line."

"So then how are we going to have a wizard wedding around muggles?" Draco asked, "I suppose we'll have to hide our wands out and hope none of the guest are drunk enough to slip out our secret. I'll have a field day at work the next day."

Astoria rolled her eyes, "Even _if_ that did happen, you are going to be transferred over to the Ministry in France. All the scandal will be left behind. We'll have a new start. And to ensure that won't happen, a simple memory charm would suffice, don't you think?"

Draco shook his head, "I'm still unimpressed with the food."

At the exact moment, The chef returned with two new plates.

"The roasted duck," He presented.

Draco and Astoria exchanged looks each knowing what the other is thinking. Astoria pushed the plate away from her and leaned over to speak to the Chef.

"You're hired." She smiled.

The chef looked confused, "But you haven't tried…"

Draco yawned, taking a stack of muggle money out of his wallet, "Here, this should cover the extra charge of working on New Year's. Rest assure that we only need you for the preparation. We'll have our own servants to handle the rest. I feel like I need to mention that our Kitchen is not up to par with what you have available here."

"Why is that sir?" The chef asked.

"We live in a Manor, the k_itchen_ is currently under _renovation_. It will not be ready in time for the wedding." Draco lied, trying to be as convincing as possible.

"Not to worry sir, we'll do out best." He bowed slightly.

"It was a pleasure." Astoria held out her hand to be kissed. Draco rolled his eyes.

The chef nodded, gratefully taking the money and taking her hand. Astoria and Draco rose from their table and headed toward the exit. Astoria had much more in store for the wedding plans and Draco was sick of it. It wasn't even noon and he desperately wanted to go back home to rest. He did see one positive aspect from the day, he was now walking around with a full belly of gourmet food and some drinks in him.

"Now we have an appointment with Alexander Royce. Fortunately enough, he's a muggle well aware of our world. He made the Potter's engagement cake." Astoria explained, "Now, generally I would steer away from anything the Potter's have done but I've tasted their cakes before and they are to die for."

Draco shrugged, indifferent of the choices she was making for them. It didn't not go unnoticed by Astoria, who was now getting clearly upset that Draco was not enthusiastic about their wedding as she was.

"If you didn't want to come Draco, you should have said something." Astoria frowned, "You're being sour."

Draco scoffed, "I'm not sour."

Astoria pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away, interested in some storefronts clearly ignoring him as they walked further down the pavement. Draco internally groaned.

"Maybe I am being sour," Draco painfully admitted, "But it's only because these muggles have no idea what a good drink is. What was it that we drank today? _Cheval Blanc St. Emilion_. A fine wine that apparently will compliment the courses of food that will be served. Tasted like bloody piss. You know as well I as I do that I rather a brandy or some firewhiskey than some stupid muggle wine."

Astoria gave him a small smile, "Really?"

Draco gave her a reassuring look, "Yes! In fact, I'm craving a butterbeer."

Astoria shook her head, "Alexander must be waiting for us. Come on. I promise a butterbeer or two if you can be pleasant in this appointment, agreed?"

Draco nodded and began to rush Astoria to get there quicker. Astoria giggled, happy that her doubts were slowly fading away. Even the prior thought of the minute possibility that Draco and _Hermione_ were conspiring behind her back was gone. Well almost.

Astoria had one more desire that would require Draco to submit entirely not only to her but to their marriage. Astoria and Draco walked into Alexander Royce Bakery and were warmly greeted by the receptionist who led them into the tasting room. The appointment went well. Draco enjoyed himself, although it wasn't sure if it was because he was truly interested in the type of cake they should have at the wedding or if it was because he really wanted a butterbeer. Nonetheless, Astoria had made up her mind, even if her fiancé wasn't sure of his.

She would have the unbreakable vow at her wedding and that was enough to reassure her future with the man she's chosen to be by her side. Until death do them part.

* * *

><p><strong>OH... yes she did.<strong>

**_Review._**


	19. Chapter 19

**So school isn't helping me with the updates but I promise that I'll have another chapter up by the weekend!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Nineteen

ooo

Harry and Ginny were busy folding and putting away the baby clothes they had accumulated from the past months. Harry was perplexed at the amount of bottles and pacifiers that they came across on. Ginny insisted that it was a present from a co-worker, explaining how when they had their baby, they never had enough pacifiers or bottles available to cope with the demand.

Harry snorted, "Maybe because your co-worker had triplets. You would think that having one is easier to deal with than three."

Ginny glared at him throwing a stuffed hippogriff at his head. Harry chuckled hugging his wife who was now in the nesting stage of her pregnancy. Ginny had been in a cleaning frenzy since she's hit month eight and are nearing the nine month mark in some weeks. She's dragged Harry down with her so he could get involved in part of the action too.

Perhaps too involved.

They had been joking and laughing, very occupied in their time spent together that none of them noticed a hand on the clock switching from _Manor _to _Mortal Peril_.

ooo

Draco sat in his office over looking the contracts and agreements that his parents sign for their wedding. He was perplexed, not by the actual contents of the agreements but because the contract was so long and tedious to read that Draco had a hard time to believe that his own parents took the time to actually read through the terms in such a short period of time. Still... Draco sighed, leaning back into his chair thinking of his upcoming wedding that was in two weeks. He was far beyond the thought of actually going through with it. There was no going around it, this time. Draco was to be married and the only thought that played around in Draco's head was how his life would play out.

He sighed again.

There wasn't much to add to what his life is expected to turn out. It was all put down on paper. Draco and Astoria were expected to leave the country for five years to establish a new order in the French Ministry, and within that specific range produce a male heir. They would vacation to England every summer for the rest of their lives or until their little boy decided to do something different, like vacationing in Brazil for instance. Their child would wed another within their community and once they have secured the Malfoy legacy, they will be allowed to have another child.

_"Under no circumstance may either party seek another to fulfill the child requirements. If a child is not conceived within the time frame of given five years there will be a termination of the marriage..._" Draco sat up suddenly, staring down the line he just read through in the agreement. He let out a sigh. At least his parents were still capable of writing some sense into a rushed agreement. He pinched the bridge of his nose, waving his wand to magically roll up the scroll, as he called in a house elf.

The tiny elf scrambled in and just as Draco was about to order her to read over the agreement for him something caught his eye. An tiny dot in the sky, like silver wisps swaying back and forth, was growing bigger and bigger each passing second. Draco stared at it until a patronus vaporized in his office...

ooo

Hermione sat at the edge of her bathtub, watching the ingredients lazily float around the hot water. A hazy mist hung around the bathroom, relaxing Hermione to her very core. It was a welcoming feeling after feeling so anxious and scared to go on with the experiment. After all, it took seven tries to get the first experiment right. Hermione had one shot with the second. It was impossible to test out before experimenting on herself, how could she know if it worked if she wasn't the one in the bathtub? Plus, she doubted anybody would be willing to put their lives at risk for her own selfish reasons.

"A drop of Dragon's blood is all one needs in a full bathtub with yarrow, chrysanthemum, and roots of the belladonna to proceed," Hermione read out loud from her book, "Take with you a possession to bring you back, or be ready to be engulfed in black…"

Hermione dip her hand in the concoction, swirling the bits of flower around with her finger. She wasn't sure if the brew was ready but she had no other choice. Hermione took out the jar of Dragon's blood and added a generous drop into the bathwater. The water shone a golden color. Hermione hoped that was a positive sign to continue on with her pursuit. The final step was already sitting on her finger. Her engagement ring was resting on her left hand watching and waiting for it's purpose in the experiment.

"It's time." Hermione announced to nobody in particular. She gathered enough courage to slip her bathrobe off, dipping her feet into the water, one by one. She stood in naked, hesitating to lower herself further. But even a moment's hesitation didn't stop her. Hermione convinced that her uncertainty was only delaying her from seeing Ron. She finally submerged her lower half into the water, noting that the sensation of the water made it feel like her legs were disappearing. Hermione stared hard at her legs that looked complete solid underwater despite the feeling of nothingness.

Hermione took the time to tie her left hand to the edge of the bathtub, to reassure that her whole body would not be completely submerged underwater. She saw the danger of it. She needed some part of her still exposed to reality as a hook to come back. Once her hand was secure, Hermione took a deep breathe of the intoxicating scent of the bathwater and plunged the rest of herself into it.

Immediately she was engulfed in black. Hermione reached out in front of her, hoping she could claw her way back out of the water but the tub was gone and she was floating around as light as feather that was sinking down to the bottom. Hermione closed her eyes, deeply regretting the position she just placed herself. She had no idea if anything was going as it was suppose to.

She opened her eyes, only to be blinded by a brightness that was hard to look at. She shielded her eyes, trying to adjust her vision to the drastic change of light. For a few moments Hermione took the time to blink out the slight pain in her eyes, adjusting her vision. She squinted around, realizing that she was in a place she had just visited days ago.

The Burrow.

Except everything was white or glimmering a shiny gold and sliver. Hermione looked around confused, she looked down at herself to find herself clothed with a white dress.

"Thankfully." Hermione sighed out, thinking how embarrassing it would have been to walk around in the other world completely naked.

She walked around searching for a sign that would lead her to Ron. Anything. She considered walking into the burrow and search in Ron's old room but upon finding that all the doors to the inside were lock made her rethink of where to find Ron.

It wasn't long before she found him. He was by the stream, skipping rocks as used to when he was angry and needed some time to himself. His back was facing her, unaware of her presence. Hermione pulse quickened upon seeing that familiar red hair. Her chin quivered, her knees threatened to give up, and she had trouble breathing normally. It was hard to keep her composure when the love of her life was a few steps away.

"Ronald?" She called out, her voice squeaking due to the knot in her throat that made it impossible to speak correctly.

The red head perked up and looked over his shoulder. His empty solemn face looked at her and in a split second it changed. He had the incredulous look on his face as Hermione ran down toward him. Her arms lifted to bring him into a hug but Ron stepped away, now displaying hints of fear in his face.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Why are you here… you didn't…" Ron trailed off, "You couldn't have. You're not solid."

Hermione gave him a look, "What do you mean?"

Ron touched his chest, "I'm solid because I died… Hermione, you look like a ghost."

Hermione looked at her hands, she could see that she was somewhat transparent. She was indeed ghostly and found it ironic that she was a ghost instead of Ron. Hermione let out a laugh, "Funny."

"I don't find it funny." Ron frowned, "Are you real?"

"Of course I'm real Ronald, why would you ask such a thing?" Hermione shot back.

He looked sheepishly to the ground, "Well, because since I've been here there's only a couple of people to talk to. Mind you, Fred and Dumbledore are great people but the conversations can get a bit repetitive."

Hermione smiled.

"Besides, if you're here then that would mean that you're dead too and I would hate to know that you're up here with me." Ron confessed.

"But that means we're together." Hermione reached to touch his shoulder, only to find that she was unable to do so.

Ron shrugged, "I don't know. Purgatory is all right. I like coming here often but it's nothing like living. The risks are gone here. You can do anything here and not be harm in the slightest. Where's the fun in that?"

"Oh Ron," Hermione groaned, "You don't like resting?"

Ron shook his head "I do. It's the life. I've never been so content with myself but I miss everybody and I find it ill that I sometimes hope they would get it over with and die. But not you Hermione, you don't belong up here. Not yet."

Hermione pressed her lips together, "Why is that?"

"Because," Ron said, "You have a lot more life ahead of you."

"So did you." Hermione replied.

Ron merely shrugged, picking up a rock and tossing it into the stream with a plunk.

"How is it that you're here if you're not dead?" Ron asked.

Hermione nervously laughed and played with her hands. She was sure that Ron was not going to approve of her motives with the implicated risks to see him one last time.

"I discovered two new uses for Dragon's Blood." She said, hoping he would be proud.

Ron smiled approvingly, flinging a rock that skipped four times on the water's surface before plunging into it.

"I knew you would go on to do something like that." Ron snorted, "Typical you."

"Typical me." Hermione smiled, "I studied alchemy for a bit until I tried out an experiment on Draco Malfoy that robbed his energy. It worked. It worked so well that I…"

Ron looked at her, "That you what?"

Hermione shook her head, "That I celebrated."

Ron snorted, "Good. And I'm glad you used Malfoy as an experimental rat. Bloody idiot deserves it. If only you could give that idea over to George, I'm sure he could turn that into a novelty item at the joke shop."

Hermione sat on the soft grass. If memory served her right, she could have sworn that the grass usually left her legs itchy. Now, it was as welcoming as a soft plush blanket.

Hermione cleared her throat, "Yes so there was another experiment, much more dangerous and life-risking that I wanted to try because it meant… it meant that I could see you."

Ron stopped chucking stones. He looked at Hermione who was avoiding his stare. He walked over and sat next to her, "Go on."

"And knowing the potential risks, I still went ahead with it because, well because, there's plenty to talk about with you. There's many things left unsaid."

"Like what?" Ron asked.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply only to have it shut, trying to think of something worth telling Ron, something that was worth risking her life for.

"Like… I love you." Hermione whispered.

Ron smiled, "I know that. That's nothing new. What else do you have to say?"

Hermione scowled, "Why did you have to be so _stupid_?"

"Huh?"

"You left me Ron…" Hermione spoke a bit louder, "You left me, alone. What am I suppose to do now that you're gone? What reason do I have to move on?"

Ron bumped his shoulder against hers, a habit he had when he was alive. He should have not thought about it much but feeling that Hermione was materializing left him stunned. Hermione was no longer transparent. She was now gaining color in her skin. She disregarded it and looked at Ron, waiting for him to respond.

"Hermione… you feel like threads." He pointed out.

"Oh, Ronald." Hermione sighed, "It's so like you to avoid my questions."

Ron angrily pouted and brought his knees close, hugging his legs.

"Hermione, dying is an experience." Ron explained, "You're detached from those who you love but at the end, dying teaches us all that life is precious and we're lucky enough to have gotten the experience it. I think I've been more than lucky. I had a loving family and friends. I had _you…_"

Hermione wearily smiled.

"… And I'm glad I had you by my side for time I spent on earth." Ron finished.

"What about the things we could have done?" Hermione asked, "We were to get married, have children, and grow old together. Aren't you angry that was taken from us?"

Ron smiled, "I suppose but then always remember that the fates are funny. Perhaps I wasn't the one for you and the fates saw how strong our love was and decided to end me. And you know, if our love was threatening to the future, then I'm honored to be separated from you."

"I've never thought I would hear you talk in such a way." Hermione twisted her face, burying her face into her Ron's chest. He flung his arm around her, bringing her in for comfort.

"Don't worry about me Hermione," Ron looked into the distance, "Even if you move on, I know you'll never forget about us and how we learned how to be happy even in the darkest of times."

"And if I make a living with _Draco_?" Hermione questioned.

Ron made a face, "It's not like you, but if you find contentment in him then I suppose the ferret is alright. I don't see it though coming from him. Maybe you, since you've always been so forgiving.

Hermione reached up to caress his face, planting a kiss on his cheek. Ron suddenly jumped more concerned than before. His hands reached for her shoulders, feeling her.

"Hermione, you're solidifying." Ron said urgently.

Hermione, finding no reason to panic, rolled her eyes, "What of it?"

"You're becoming _solid_, 'Mione." Ron repeated slowly, "It's like you're becoming me."

Hermione finally understood is motive, "Oh! It must be the brew…"

"What brew?" Ron asked.

Hermione hesitated and Ron became animated.

"_WHAT_ brew?" He asked again.

"The only way I could see you again is if I emerged my body into a brew that's potentially poisonous." Hermione confessed, "It was the only way-"

"Are you _insane_?" Ron shouted, "How do you get back? You have to go back now, before the effects are irreversible."

Hermione's head was flooded with the research she had made. Everything down from the significance of the flowers, down to the very basic of alchemy, and in her search of the answer she came up with one problem she overlooked. Hermione glanced at her left hand and found that her fingers were all bare. The one quizzical piece to the whole procedure and Hermione had no idea how to use it. Her ring was gone… how was she suppose to get back?

"I don't know." She admitted dryly.

Ron paused, "What do you mean you don't know?"

Hermione felt the frustration grow in her, "I mean that… I may have possibly over looked my passage back to reality."

Ron paced around, kicking the small stones in outrage. Hermione was perplexed as to why Ron was so agitated with the fact that Hermione was unable to get back. They were together, weren't they? Hermione didn't a problem in that, so what if she died in the process of communicating with Ron once more? At least they'll be together forever. When she explained her feelings to Ron he looked at her and balled up his hands into fist.

"You don't belong here." He said.

"I belong anywhere you are." Hermione chased after him, after Ron jogged over to the Burrow, rattling the lock to the broom cupboard.

"No," Ron answered, "You have a lot more to fulfill down there than you have up here with me."

"But-"

"Stop Hermione." Ron cried, "Look at yourself. You're _dying_. Any chance you have living with the ones you love is about to be gone, having a chance at living a life with someone else, having a family, is disappearing. Don't you understand that?"

"I'll give that all up." Hermione insisted.

"Don't. Not for me. And if you truly love me, 'Mione you would go back and live a beautiful life." Ron said.

The magnitude of his words resonated in Hermione's head, finally able to understand his motives. Hermione looked around trying to figure out a way out of purgatory.

"Harry was here once wasn't he?" Hermione thought out loud, "How was it that he came back?"

Ron looked at her, "He said he simply wished for it… _wish_ Hermione."

Hermione closed her eyes and with all her might wished to wake up in the bathtub, ready to fulfill Ron's wishes.

_I wish to be back home. I wish. Oh please, I wish!_

Hermione opened her eyes to see Ron staring back at her. How could have Hermione been so stupid. How could have she overlooked the absolute most important aspect of the experiment: surviving to tell the tale? The promise of becoming a world-renowned witch was dwindling down to nothing and the only hope she had was to live. The fantasies of being published and credited for discoveries were gone. She didn't want any of it, she simply wanted to live. And as each passing second diminished her last and only living hope, she looked at Ron and apologized.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you." She wept.

Ron's solemn face broke into a weary smile, "You can never disappoint me, 'Mione. Whatever you do."

And just as Hermione accepted her fate, a violent pain ripped through her body, as if a million paper cuts were slashed all across her body and then being stretched open. The pain engulfed her surroundings in black again, unable to keep her eyes open due to the extreme pain. A pressure began to fill in her lungs and the sensation of drowning threw her into panic.

Hermione was dying. She felt her eyes brim with tears hoping that it wasn't true and deeming herself stupid for attempting this experiment. All emotions began to drain her. She felt nothing except for hand gripping on to her left hand. The sensation of rising was felt and the pressure in her lungs rose to her throat.

With one forceful cough, Hermione regurgitated the bath water. Two arms were around her as she was lifted from the tub. She opened her eyes lazily up to Draco who was shouting at Harry.

_"Get me a towel and the antidote!"_

She was back. She smiled up at Draco before letting the darkness engulf her once more.

* * *

><p><strong>I bet half of you expected that to happen despite thinking she was ridiculous. Well, Hermione was a bit out of line but it makes for a story doesn't it? I wouldn't be the same if she just put Ron in the back of her head and pranced away with Draco... that would have taken me two chapters to write and wouldn't have been as much fun, would it? <strong>

**Exactly.**

**_Review._**


	20. Chapter 20

**So I have a some news that I'll announce at the end of this story and I apologize in advance if this chapter is shorter than the rest. I think the next chapter should make up for it (take that as a hint). Hah.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty

ooo

Hermione found herself in bed that morning, like the past few days, too weak to move and too indifferent to care. Her thoughts dodged from here to there, not really lingering to long on each thought. Hermione had, in fact, noticed a sudden change in her that restrained her from enjoying the things she loved but found herself apathetic to the change, despite the anxiety it cause in the people around her. Ginny was brushing her hair, sitting at her bedside, reciting jokes from a book George had given Hermione that Christmas.

"A couple of hikers were tramping through the countryside and had lost their way, so by the time they arrived at the "Ed and Dragon", the village pub where they'd arranged to stay the night, the doors were locked and the owners had gone to bed. They knocked on the front door, hoping to get an answer. A head appeared at an upstairs window and shouted, "_Go away. Don't you know what time it is? We're closed!_" and the window slammed shut. Undeterred, the hikers knocked again. "_What is it now?_" demanded the head. "_Could we speak to Ed this time please?_"  
>asked on the hikers." Ginny giggled, looking at Hermione hoping she would laugh along.<p>

Hermione stared right on ahead, observing Harry who was speaking to Mrs. Weasley. Hermione looked over to the presents that appeared at the foot of her bed. Only one package was opened by Ginny because she insisted Hermione to open her presents.

Hermione shrugged when Ginny laughed at the joke. Ginny immediately frowned and turned the page, rubbing her stomach. Her face twisted in pain for a split second and was released with a sigh.

"It wasn't that funny, was it?" Ginny apologized, "Let me look for another one."

Harry and Mrs. Weasley glanced at Hermione.  
>"Ah! Here's one! Daniel adored and loved his girlfriend, Lorraine, to whom he was engaged to be married. Wedding plans were well underway and he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life…" Ginny paused, "No, nevermind. Not this one. Oh! This one! A woman gets on bus and immediately becomes involved in an argument with driver after he calls her baby ugly, she pays her fare and storms off to get a seat when a man asks "<em>What's the matter, love?<em>" "_It's that bloody driver, I've never been so insulted in all my life_" she replies. "_Ok_" says the man "_You go down there and sort him out and I'll look after the monkey!_"."

Hermione lifted her eyes up at Ginny, "Clever."

Ginny frowned, "How about we open the rest of your presents?"

Hermione looked up at Ginny for a moment then rolled over to her side to avoid her. Ginny looked at her husband who was watching them interact. She shrugged, not knowing what else to do to help her friend. Harry lowered his head.

"Molly," he sighed, "Take her to St. Mungos."

Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a strange look.

"I thought you wanted to avoid St. Mungos. You know as well as I do that they'd keep her under extreme watch. We won't be able to see her. They'll have her on lock down for weeks." Molly said in a hush.

Harry scoffed, "I'm not talking about Hermione. Ginny…"

Molly cocked her head averting her gaze over to her daughter, "Ginny?"

"She's in pain." Harry explained, "She's been twisting her face around trying to hide it."

Molly looked over at her daughter, who reached over towards Hermione's presents carefully maneuvering around. Ginny closed her eyes tightly as if a shooting pain had just came over her.

"She hasn't said a word." Molly pointed out.

"She's been worried about Hermione." Harry scratched his chin, "She doesn't want to attract the attention she thinks Hermione should be receiving. Please take her and make sure she doesn't make a fuss. I'll join you later. I want to talk to Hermione alone"

Molly nodded, walking over to Ginny to escort her out of Hermione's bedroom. Ginny at first refused to leave but was convinced when the bribe of having some tea won her over. Harry made sure they were completely gone before he spoke. Harry waited until the sounds of Ginny's protesting downstairs had disappeared. He wanted to ensure that he would have complete freedom to speak to his best friend.

"What's today?" Hermione droned.

Harry took a look at her, "It's the 29th of December. You know that. You asked for the date yesterday."

Hermione closed her eyes, "I forgot."

Harry, angered by her apathy, shoved the sitting chair against the wall, startling Hermione from her nap.

"Have you gone _insane _'Mione?" Harry shouted, "Just look at yourself!"

Hermione blinked.

"I bet a vegetable has more emotions than you do, what happened to you?" Harry paced around, waiting for Hermione to respond. Harry wanted an explanation for her drastic change in her. How was it that a girl well on the road to recovery regressed into a shadow of what she used to be?

Harry walked over to her vanity and took out a book from the drawer. He lifted it for Hermione to see. Hermione immediately recognized it as her journal and should have experienced a panic but she looked away, staring out the darkened window.

"I read this." Harry hissed, "What in the _hell_ were you thinking?"

"My thoughts are on that," Hermione sighed, "I don't think you have to ask me what I was thinking."

"Risking your life for a stupid experiment? Did you have any idea the risk you put yourself in? You almost _died_ Hermione! Have you any idea how mad Ron would be if he found out that you did this to yourself? A suicide mission for an experiment." Harry threw the journal into the fire in Hermione's room. Hermione stared as the flames licked around the journal before engulfing entirely.

"Ron didn't seem so mad…" She muttered.

Harry's face dropped, "You submerged yourself into a hallucinogenic, 'Mione. Anything you might have experienced was a giant lie."

Hermione lifted her gaze up at Harry, "It wasn't. The properties of hallucinogenic are entirely different Harry. It's all based on Alchemy."

Harry wasn't sure what was worse, facing the possibility of a dying friend or experiencing Hermione in the state she was win.

"Listen Hermione, we _all _miss Ron." Harry struggled to find the words to say, "One loss is heartbreaking, I know. I don't know what I'll do with myself if you were gone too."

Hermione looked interested in what Harry was saying but his moving confession made no real impact on her. It was as it Harry was a complete stranger to her. Harry began to get frustrated, having enough of Hermione's apathy he began to gather his things to follow Ginny. Hermione watched and just before Harry headed for the door she stopped him.

"What makes my experience with the after life different' than yours?" Hermione asked.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her, "Perhaps because I was actually dead, 'Mione."

Hermione looked away, unaffected by Harry's harsh response.

"I was dying slowly, wasn't I?" She challenged, "So then you cant refute the possibility of me actually experiencing what you might have gone through. I doubt you wish to know but I wasn't in solid form. I was like a ghost on the otherside because I didn't belong. As the time past, I was solidifying. I suppose that bathing a tub full of poison won't kill you immediately. I'm sure you can agree that as I died, I lived… on the other side."

Harry's eyes glazed over in disbelief. Hermione flashed him an empty smile and looked out of her window.

"Look it's raining." Hermione pointed out, "Has it snowed yet?"

Harry gulped, "It did. Christmas Eve."

Hermione's eyes averted back to Harry's, "It melted away didn't it?"

Harry nodded.

Hermione gave Harry a halfhearted smile, hoping he would stop worrying about her. She knew very well that according to her unexplained actions, it would seem like she just attempted suicide. Hermione thought it was beyond the contrary. She did it to find a peace of mind in her world. Although she knew she had found it, she had lost something in return.

Every slow passing day it began to stir in her mind that there was something extremely wrong and the fact that the danger of her vacant emotions was still not a warning to explain it.

What had happened to her?

What was once an insult to Hermione was now becoming her doom. She was drying up like the old stale pages of a textbook. No emotion but only information to tell and to share to whoever was interested in it. It was strange to compare her state to letters but it's what she felt, if she could feel anything at all.

"You're slipping into the dark and it's something I wanted you to see. To care about." Harry sat down at her bedside.

Harry collapse. He let out a sob and violently kicked Hermione bed. He shoved his hands to his face and let out another cry. Hermione watched.

"I don't know what to do with myself Hermione!" Harry yelled, "You are the only thing I have left. Without you and Ron I would… I would lose my first family. The two people who stood at my side… 'Mione there's a reason why the living and the dead are separated and almost impossible to communicate. There is much we don't understand while we're living and although the pain of losing someone is confusing and inconsolable at times, there's something to learn from our pain. There's a solitude air the surrounds us when we losing someone because Hermione, while we enter the world surrounded by loved ones, we leave this world alone. It's a lonely path…"

Hermione blinked, "It is a lonely path Harry. One I must take myself. I don't know what's in store for me but like you said, it's a pain to learn from."

Harry gave Hermione a watery look and shook his head.

"James will be born soon." Hermione closed her eyes, "You should join Ginny. You know how she hates it when you're a second too late."

Harry inhaled, "Yes. I should go."

Harry dragged his feet around the room, gathering his things once more. He stopped at the door and face Hermione who calmly stared back.

"Take care." He said.

Hermione stopped him, "Wait. Harry, would you mind handing me that book?"

Harry gave her a curious look, "Moby Dick?"

Hermione nodded and mechanically smiled at Harry when he handed her the book. Her bent over her and kissed the top of her head, wishing her well and mentioning that he'll send someone to look after her as soon as possible.

Hermione watched him leave and she laid in her bed for a while before cracking open the book to a marked page. There, inscribed in front of her, read the words that were etched in her brain.

_"There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness."_

Hermione smiled, "I am mad…"

She picked up a torn bit of paper that was wedged between the two pages and took a look at it. She had scribbled something on the face of the scrap and on the back was a crude drawing of a prince and a princess. Hermione analyzed her imperfect drawing and made a mental note never to draw anything out again. She flipped the large scrap over again and squinted at her own tiny words.

_"There has been something I've been dreaming of… it seems stupid to write down in the journal but, at the same time, significant. The apple Draco bit into robbed him of his energy like in the fairytale Snow White. Since that discovery, I've been dreaming of biting into that apple only to have Draco scoop me up and save me. I'm glad to know first what that apple does to avoid the effects of it. I doubt I'd have anyone around to know the anti-jinx to it. A simple kiss… how can that be? What is it about a kiss that can revive a person in the magical world and in these fairytales? What's in a kiss that brings back all that has been taken from you?"_

It suddenly dawned on Hermione. She hadn't noticed it before but it seems like her two experiments shared two similar side effects: they robbed a person of something whether it be energy or emotion it was debilitating to the most extreme. Hermione regretted not ever asking Draco what he had experienced during his brief experience with the apple. Perhaps if she had collected the information, Hermione would be positive that the brew she submerged herself in was _her _apple_. _

Hermione set the book down; shoving the piece of scrap paper she tore out of her journal, into the pages and closed it. She carelessly tossed it aside and began to scoot herself towards the edge of the bed. She swung her legs over the edge and stared at her feet.

If Hermione had any emotions at all, she would have been shocked at how frail her feet looked. Her eyes trailed up to her thin ankles and her bony calves. There was a deathly white hue to her skin that looked so unnatural and alarming that it at least interested Hermione. She placed the rest of her weight carefully on to her feet and softly stepped over to the vanity mirror and took a peek at herself.

Hermione understood the cause for concern. She not only displayed a lack of empathy to anything, Hermione was wasting away at such a rapid pace it must be scary to witness the deterioration she's going through. Hermione was sure it was not because the lack of food. Although Hermione hardly had any appetite, she was forced to eat around Molly Weasley. Still, despite her poor eating health, her body looked as if it had stopped eating for months.

Hermione face was gaunt and her arms emaciated. She didn't dare look underneath her nightgown. Instead, she tiptoed around her room, beginning to hatch out a plan to recover because if her friends were concerned, she should be too.

_"That's the logic, right?" _Hermione thought.

She shrugged and solemnly moved around her room, returning to complete her experiment before it consumed her.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>So, I decided to part this story into the way I originally wanted it and then I think I can make an alternative ending because I'm not too sure if my readers will love this next part. Part ONE will end next chapter and Chapter 22 should be the second part which won't be as long as the first AND if at the end you seem very unsatisfied with the ways things were, I do have an alternative route if you all are interested in. : ) <strong>**

**_Review._**


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm sure you reader will enjoy this one but I'm not sure if I was about to execute it correctly. Never done this type of chapters before..._ ahem_...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-one

ooo

Draco sat alone in his chamber. He gave specific orders to his house elves not to let Astoria in or anywhere near his room. Draco had a feeling that she would sneak off to see him in private. She was always up to something, no matter how innocent her intentions were. Draco thought it was for the best. If she would somehow find him before the ceremony Draco would not hold back his feelings and call the wedding off but somehow Astoria found a way to prevent that from ever happening. Everything about the wedding felt suffocating, everything from the food, to the guest, even his damn dress robe was suffocating.

He loosened up his tie, springing up to his feet and storming to the window, where he had a slight view of the tents being raised up to shield the area from the snow that was falling. Still, despite the cold, there was an aura of warmth that radiated from the ceremony site. It was more than just the spell place upon the area to war off the cold. It was the tickling of the guest, who were mingling and having cocktails before heading inside the tent to take their seats.

It was a union of families.

It was their happiness for the wedding that was giving it an intoxicating warmth that it sickened Draco. He could feel it from his room all the cheerfulness and laughter from down below.

That early morning, Astoria paid him a visit nearly scaring the life out of him. She came in with her sister, Daphne, all giving him mischievous looks. Draco slipped back into bed and groaned. Draco wasn't sure what had happen during that time due to being waken at four in the morning but he was certain that he could clearly recall the joining of his hand and Astoria's being locked away by wisps of chains. At the time Draco thought he was dreaming but he wasn't so certain now. He had no idea if what he had agreed to was real or not but there was no way we was going to die over a broken vow.

Which was another reason he was so anxious.

He _had _to go through with this wedding. Although he might have been half asleep when the vow was made he did remember what he vowed to do.

Be a caring husband.

Be honest throughout their marriage.

But most importantly…

Go through with the wedding.

The hilarious part is, Draco had no idea why he was suddenly so resentful to get married. He had fallen for astria before, hadn't he? What was so different this time around? Astoria was everything he could ask for: Beautiful, witty, and every once in a while she would give him a look that would make him weak. Draco sighed, he hadn't seen that look in such a long time or rather, that _look_ had no affect on him anymore. And if he really thought about it, he was sure he could trace it back to the summer when her weakening powers loss its effect. Was all because he willingly let himself fall for someone else without knowing he did?

Draco scoffed.

_Granger._

The mudblood.

Draco reached into his pocket, taking out a small engagement ring. Hermione was wearing it when he rushed to her Manor when Harry sent his patronus urging him to check up on Hermione...

At first, Draco thought she had drowned herself but seeing that the water she was submerged into was a golden tint, made Draco realize that she was in a brew. Although, time wasted was detrimental, he took the time to crack open the journal that was at the bath side. By the time Draco skimmed through the notes Hermione had made Harry was at his side, yelling at him to do something. That's when he snapped at Harry, throwing the journal at him ordering him to read the last line on the page.

Draco reached for Hermione's exposed left hand and tugged on it gently. She was stiff and heavy. He tried once more but she still remained unmoved. Draco gave one last violent jerk and Hermione followed out. Draco lifted her out of the bathtub, looking at Harry who was completely engulfed in the journal.

_"Harry! Get me a towel and the antidote!" He yelled._

_Harry snapped out of it, tossing a bathrobe at him. Draco quickly covered Hermione._

_"Where's the antidote?" Harry asked._

_"Run to the kitchen," Draco instructed, "There's a couple of vials in the spice rack!"_

Harry disappeared in an instant. Draco stood there, carrying Hermione. He took a look at her and let out a sigh.

_Granger_…

Stupid, stupid mudblood.

Out of all people, Draco would stop his own wedding just to check up on her. He hadn't seen her since that day and not a single word of news had been spoke to him. He was sure there was something wrong with him to have thoughts like that. Harry hadn't updated him on her condition. Draco hadn't heard from her at all. For all he knew, she could be well off or… dead. Even if she was a rotten mudblood, Draco had hope with every fiber in his being, she was alright. He knew after this night, there will be no more visits to her manor or late nights watching over her. There would be no more fights or yelling. Things would eventually slip back into what should be, in the order that was meant to be.

"Really, Draco…" He said out loud to himself, "Granger?"

Even he thought he was stupid enough to fall for her. What had he hope would be the outcome for falling for someone so different from himself? There wouldn't be a smooth sailing relationship. Draco would possibly be disowned from his own family and Draco doubted Hermione would have such an easy time either but fighting century old beliefs was like trying to fight against the current of a river.

Almost impossible.

It was easier to give up and go with the current to lead you where he was suppose to be.

Still, Draco found it that falling for bucktooth Granger was such a twist in his life that it had to be a sick joke. Someone up there had to be bored watching Draco's life play out like expected that they decided to throw in Hermione in it just to spice things up a bit.

Draco took another look outside, frowning. He heard his door creak open, he didn't want to face his doom just yet. Draco waved his hand, motioning the elves to leave. It wasn't time for him to come down yet. Plus, he didn't want to greet any of the guests until after the wedding. Draco watched his mother and father share a drink with the Minister of Magic, one of the many expected prestigious guest to come.

The floorboard squeaked.

Draco tore his eyes off the scene below him and averted his gaze towards his door. Hermione turned around, after securing the door with her wand. He stood there frozen, watching Hermione's dull face force a smile out at him. She didn't have to say a word, Draco immediately knew there was something wrong. Other than her wasted appearance, Hermione wasn't glowing like he last remembered her. One of his last memories was them shoving off clothes on top of a table in her library, her face redden with lack of oxygen but still, there was a glow of life behind it. Not that Draco had hoped for a last meeting, but he certainly didn't expect Hermione to look so… wasted.

Hermione's lifted her heavy eyes up to him and gave him a one shoulder shrug.

"You're not the only one who's given me that look." Hermione took in a deep breath, as if it was difficult to remain alive, "Came here to thank you and for a favor."

Draco, closed the curtain to block off the sight of the ceremony and faced Hermione. He couldn't find the words to say. He spent most of the time opening his mouth and quickly shutting it because he realized there wasn't a single comforting thing he had to say. Even his sincere concern for her had been muted.

Hermione tucked a strand of icy hair behind her blue ear. Draco wasn't sure if it turned that color because she was cold or because she was ill. Still, Hermione wasn't herself and despite the dead look in her eyes Draco was sure she was here for a reason, like she said.

"I don't have much time to explain," She sighed, "I over heard your elves, thirty minutes is all we have… but it should be enough."

Draco bit his lip.

Hermione looked away, "Listen, I don't need another lecture. I just received one from Harry. Nor do I need pity. I wasn't on a suicide mission. I promise you that."

"You look…"

Hermione perked up, "Depleted? Yes. I know. I'm assuming from the experiment. Whatever I had brewed has a ghastly after effect. It's starting to take it's real effects now… Draco, do you remember when you ate the apple?"

With the last of her strength Hermione, dragged herself over to Draco's bed to rest her legs. It was as if her muscles had aged a considerable amount. Draco neared her, helping her settle down.

"You walked over here?" Draco asked.

She nodded, "I don't have enough energy to think about apparation. Funny enough, walking through the snow here was still wasted less energy than it would have taken to apparate here."

Draco stood up, taking off his dress robe and wrapping Hermione in it.

"Thank you," She muttered, "But I assure you, I can't feel a single thing… Draco, do you remember what happened when you ate that apple? Do you remember the sensation?"

Draco, stunned by the question, took a second to respond.

"Yes." Draco nodded, "Why are you asking?"

Hermione closed her eyes, as if she was losing her patience… if she had any at all.

"What did it feel like?" She pressed.

Draco bit his lip, "It felt worse than the Imperius Curse. It was as if you were an abandon puppet and you could feel the energy sucked form your core. I do remember the look you gave me. I don't think I've ever seen anybody truly concerned over me and what shocked me was how apathetic I was to it."

Hermione fiddled with her thumbs, "I hope I can explain this to you as clear as I understand it Draco. It seems that both experiments I was working on are very similar to each other. Both require desire. The apple, the desire to indulge and the brew, the desire to see what cannot be seen. It has also come to my understanding that although they maybe significant differences between them, they had strong after affects as well. Do you follow?"

"Are you saying the brew…" Draco trailed off.

"Is much like the apple who robbed you off your energy." Hermione closed her eyes and nodded, "Can you picture the experiment tested on you but on a much larger and sinister scale? The brew gave me what I had desired, but it's also slowly robbing more than just energy from me now. I'm wasting away I can't feel a single thing Draco. I watch everyone give me these looks of concern and worry and I don't care. I do remember hating being looked after because I'm unable to do so myself so the only thing I could think of is that the brew is robbing _me_."

Draco gave Hermione a long look, "Do you wish to be admitted to St. Mungos? We can go there now."

"Do you remember how you were able to break free from the apple's restraints?" Hermione urged on.

Draco closed his eyes and pictured a vivid memory of Hermione's lips crashing into his. The grip of her arms on his shoulders, her overjoyed expression that she had accomplished something, her kiss… Draco, although quite stunned about the whole ordeal, understood one thing. She didn't have to ask him. Because Hermione had saved his life before, there was no way he was going to stop himself from helping her. And if he understood it correctly, Draco knew exactly what to do.

His hand sneaked past his dress robe and trailed up her arm. He was surprised she didn't shiver at his touch. Draco was sure his hand must feel like fire compared to her cool skin. Her eyes watched him, not because she was shocked but merely because she was curious. His hands found the back of her slender neck and he willingly kissed her. Softly at first but as apathetic as Hermione displayed herself, she suddenly raised her arms and cupped his cheeks. Draco stopped and took a look at her.

"What?" She asked, her cheek's plump and red. He took a good look at her and she was back to her normal weight.

Draco broke into a small smile; "Looks like you gained some weight in a couple of seconds… might be a world record."

He dove in for another kiss and another one. The more time passed and the more the heat between them grew, Draco could feel Hermione gaining herself back, like if the puzzle pieces were slowly finding their selves back where they should be. Unfortunately, his thoughts were lost after a small moan escaped her lips after his lips trailed down to the hollow of her neck. Draco threw his head back, trying to hold back. Unexpectedly, he detached himself from Hermione and paced around, holding the bridge of his nose.

There wasn't much on Hermione other than the thin cotton nightgown she presented herself in that night. Draco wished she had shown herself in a more decent fashion… like one of her usual ugly sweaters. Still, he was sure he would have been eager to rip anything off Hermione.

Draco distracted himself by looking out the window again.

"Are you better?" He asked.

"I don't feel it." Hermione said, looking at her hands, "How do I look?"

Draco glanced back at her and quickly turned away. She looked riveting. Her hair was disheveled, the nightgown was now filled in places that tempted Draco, and her careless look was amazingly attractive…

"Hermione," Draco started, "What else did the experiment robbed you of? I thought a kiss would be enough…"

"Didn't I mention it?" Hermione asked dryly, "I can't feel anything. I don't _care _for anything."

Draco placed his hand on the window. Chills were sent down his arm. Draco had no idea how she made it to his Manor alive in the snow. She must have been freezing and with his hand roaming around when they were kissing, he had felt it too. She was icy cold.

Draco urged Hermione to get under the covers. If it was any other normal circumstance, Draco was sure that she would have hexed him for merely suggesting such a thing, but Hermione obliged to his commands. She tore away the covers of his bed, quickly slipping into them, curling into a ball.

Draco wasn't sure of the reason or why he decided to slip right beside her in bed but he did and she instantly curled up under his arm. Draco smiled.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"No."

Draco gave her a look.

Hermione's arms crawled out from under the sheet and lifted herself so that she was hovering above Draco.

"I don't feel complete. I think since the severity of the potion was much higher then…" She said, trailing off. Her eyes searched around for a valid explanation.

Draco laid still staring into her. He didn't look away until her brown eyes were locked with his and he noticed they were almost lifeless. He didn't understand. He had poured all his passion into his kiss hoping that it would be more than enough to help heal her and it did help. Hermione's body was back. She looked healthy. What else could be done?

Before Draco could come up with the answer, Hermione swung a leg over Draco and straddled him, she immediately reached to the bottom of her night gown and began peeling it off herself. Draco laid there, watching in fascination the skin he never imagined he would ever see.

Hermione bent over, to whisper in his ear.

"I do believe we have unfinished business Mr. Malfoy." She said, "And I apologize in advance for ruining your wedding night."

Draco was unable to move. He was unresponsive to her hands trailing down his chest as she unbuttoned his shirt or the unbelting of his buckle. Draco was more fascinated with the fact that Hermione wasn't ripping his clothes off with fever. He'd imagine that this moment would have been so full of passion and heat that the room would have been unbearable to stand in.

Unable to go further, Draco covered his eyes and pleaded her to stop. Everything about this was so wrong to Draco. All he could think of was Harry pacing up and down, warning him to stay away. Draco could clearly imagine the new found hatred and animosity he would receive from the Weasley's if he went through with this. Most importantly, it was his wedding day wasn't it?

"Hermione," Draco breathed out just as she shoved his pants down to his ankles.

Hermione froze and looked up at Draco who sat up and shook his head.

"We can't… I can't." He gulped, "I can't do this to you."

Hermione frowned, "How am I suppose to get better?"

Draco inhaled, "How are we suppose to know if this is the solution?"

"It is!" Hermione urged.

Hermione continued to undress him. Draco was unable to stop the situation because even if his internal conflicts were screaming out loud in protest, his heart was racing in anticipation.

"Hermione." Draco said once more.

She stopped and looked at him.

"Do you love me?" Draco asked.

Hermione looked away. Draco pulled Hermione onto his lap. She squirmed away but Draco kept her in place by planting gentle kisses on her shoulder.

"I don't want to complicate things." She heaved out, "I think the only way for me to recover fully is to go on with this…"

Yet, with every kiss she received from Draco, every single tender kiss Hermione felt a drop of emotions collecting in her. It relaxed her.

"I can't say." She admitted, "But before this happened, I do recall wanting you. I don't feel that now… but I'm sure if I wasn't under the spell I would say I love you too."

Draco stopped and looked at Hermione, he nodded in agreement.

"This is for your sake then. We're only doing this in order to restore you back." Draco confirmed.

"Yes." She nodded, "The only purpose for this is to help me. Nothing more. Understood?"

Draco nodded but to him, there was something much more meaningful than to help Hermione like she helped him once. Draco lifted Hermione up and laid her down, he slowly crawled above her, taking in every inch of skin he hadn't admired before.

"Draco. We don't have much time…" Hermione urged.

She was right. The only piece of clothing left was Hermione's knickers.

He lowered himself pressing himself on her. Hermione shivered. Draco tried to smirk his signature smirk but it was lost in translation. He was nervous. He had hardly been nervous in any of his sex-capades. They both locked eyes for a moment before Draco positioned himself. Hermione gave him a reassuring look and within the next moments they were caught up in something very extraordinary. Draco's never laid with someone so responsive to his touch and Hermione had never experience anything other than Ron in bed. Their experience was overwhelming and just as Hermione felt the build up in her core release, she let out the last dying moan in her. The sensation of air filling every inch of her was overwhelming. It was all the emotions she was lacking. They all came rushing back to her as she climaxed and when the moment was over, she looked at Draco who was sweating and struggling to keep himself from collapsing on top of her.

"_Mr. Malfoy?_"

A small voice spoke from behind the doors, Draco quickly flew out from his bed and began to dress himself. He grabbed his wand and muttered spells at himself, trying to make himself presentable. He had to get married or else… he rather not think of it. He didn't look back at Hermione as he exited. He simply left without acknowledging her. Hermione, on the other hand, turned over wrapping the sheets around her and let out a sob. A shaking hand combed the hair off her face. Whether they were tears of abandonment or the result from bottling all her emotions she skipped out on, she will never know.

All Hermione felt was a sharp pain in her heart and she was sure that the intense pain felt had a lot to do with the man who just walked out on her to marry his future wife. But one thing was certain, she could feel again.  
>Nevertheless, Hermione couldn't stay there. She began collecting her few scraps of clothing and rummaged around Draco's room for a cloak to use. Hermione found the puddle of black cloth in the middle of his chamber. It was his dress robe. Hermione assumed that he was in such a hurry, he forgot about it.<p>

Hermione wiped her cheeks off, that were raw from the tears she had shed. She threw on the cloak and looked in the mirror. She pointed the wand at herself and mutter a few spells. Her hair shortened and jinxed her face to resemble a more masculine appearance. Hermione, once satisfied with her look, pocketed her wand and that's when she discovered a small piece of metal in the breast pocket of the dress robe. She reached in and took it out. It surprised her that she had found a possession of hers in Draco's robes.

Hermione held out her engagement ring up to the light expecting it to explode into a shining sparkling world of colors, like it had before, but it remained dull.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>And that's wraps up part one. : )<strong>**

**_Review._**


	22. Part TWO Chapter 22

**Alright, I apologize for the wait. I haven't been able to write for this story due to lack of time PLUS it didn't help that when I didn make time for it I had a terrible writer's block (the death of writers). Anyways**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

**Part Two**

Chapter Twenty-two

ooo

_Hermione laid in her own comfortable bed, loving the feeling of the clean crisp sheets she was wrapped around in. She could feel the cold still air in her room which only caused her to snuggle up to Draco more, who welcomed her in his arms. His hand rested on her hip for a while until the trailed up to her navel. _

Hermione snapped up from her dream. She sat there heaving out breaths as if what she had just experience was a nightmare. She closed her eyes running her hand through her bushy hair. It wasn't very often she would dream of Draco and the mere thought of him nowadays made her uncomfortable.

Determined to take her mind off him, she paid careful attention to the cold air in her room and how her clean crisp sheets felt. The only thing missing was the stranger in her bed…

Hermione scowled and jumped out of bed. She grabbed her wand and flicked it to begin a roaring fire in her bedroom fireplace. Hermione dragged her feet towards her night robe which she carelessly tossed on the floor last night as she read the last of the book that laid on her night stand: Moby Dick. Hermione didn't have to look at a clock to know she overslept again. The brightness of the sun was enough of an indicator. She couldn't help it. There was something about the mornings that made her vulnerable to laziness. She drew the curtains and saw a frosty morning laid out in front of her. February was coming to an end and Hermione was patiently waiting to go back to her garden work when the spring came. She hated being coupe up in her cold Manor by herself like she had in the past two months, even the extra measures of keeping warm hadn't war off the flu she had in the middle of January.

To keep herself busy, Hermione was working for the final preparations to hand over the manor to Teddy. She had found all the paper work, had double checked every corner of every room in the manor, Hermione even went as far as looking into apartments in London so she could move into a space right away.

Unfortunately, that same morning laziness bled over to almost everything she did. It took Hermione an entire week to look for the papers she once had stored in the library, what once took an entire day to review the Manor took nearly a month, and even if Hermione had looked into new apartments none of the listings in the Sunday newspaper were read seriously enough to consider.

Hermione sighed, climbing back into bed feeling like a criminal doing so. Still, the mere fact that she felt _something _was good enough for her. Hermione never thought she would ever agree that she looked best when she was filled out and pink. She stared at her bare thighs, realizing that they seemed plumped.

Immediately Hermione groaned.

It was all the inactivity, she thought. The lack of doing anything has finally caught up to her and now Hermione can see the slight change of weight gain in her. The mere thought of possibly gaining weight frustrated Hermione and she jumped off the bed and marched over to a full-length mirror to exam herself.

She held up her chin as her eyes examine every inch of exposed skin, which by the way isn't very much when you're wearing a nightgown. Hermione tore every inch of clothing on her until she was left with her unmentionables. Hermione stared hard at herself and turned to the side.

Strangely enough, Hermione did see a change she just couldn't pinpoint it. That feeling of peculiarity didn't leave Hermione. In fact she endured the imbalance for the following months not knowing why the seemingly ordinarily things became so odd to her that she questioned almost everything she did. For the better half of the remaining winter she was lethargic and wasteful. The moment spring was in full affect Hermione was busy as ever. There wasn't a time wasted in her day. She waited till the morning frost was gone before she tempted herself with planting seeds. In the meantime, during the early spring she would take out all the plates that had gathered dust over the winter and wash them by hand. Once they were back to pristine condition, Hermione spent hours putting the dishes away, not because there was so many of them but because she couldn't make up her mind on where to put them.

It was that type of actions that Hermione questioned. She couldn't help it. It drove her insane to the point that her mind venture back to her sinking in the bathtub full of poison. Was there something else that the potion had left behind? Hermione couldn't fathom the idea of still having traces of the spell on her but was it possible? Hermione hadn't thought of that night of meeting Ron since the New Years and it totally went against her honorable research convictions: One must complete a project in its entirety. After being rescued and _saved_ Hermione forgot to evaluate all she could from the results of her experiments. Hermione found herself pacing around the kitchen one warm April night, restless and determined to find out what had been the analysis of her findings. Ginny sat at her table, bored from watching Hermione furiously walk around.

"What's wrong now?" Ginny asked forcefully, very upset that her plans on talking about how Harry wants another baby was now being pushed aside. Ginny had been mentioning it all the afternoon as she helped Hermione weeding out the garden in preparation of Andromeda and Teddy's visit the next day.

Hermione stopped suddenly and looked at Ginny before picking up a rag and began wiping down the table tops.

"It's… nothing nevermind." Hermione hissed. She thought it would be better to _not _mention the potion again since it was still a very sensitive subject to touch.

Ginny leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms, "I've never seen you this way. It honestly looks like you're nesting."

"Nesting?" Hermione rolled her eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You know cleaning, rearranging things… perhaps being very detail orientated. But then again, it's you we're talking about. When haven't you been Hermione… It's like you're nesting all your life." Ginny joked.

"Why do I feel like I've heard that word before?" Hermione mumbled, picking up her tea to sit down with Ginny.

"You _have_ heard it before. Harry told you all about my nesting period during Halloween. Don't you remember?" Ginny paused, "Oh of course you don't. You and Harry were piss drunk… Anyways, I did that a lot when I was pregnant with James. It annoyed Harry. He could never find where I kept the spoons because I always rearranged the order."

Hermione was about to sip on her tea but froze before the china touched her lips.

"When you were what?" Hermione asked, the second she found the courage to speak up.

Ginny cocked her head, giving Hermione a look.

"When I was… pregnant." Ginny slowly pieced out.

Hermione quickly looked away and unfortunately nothing was overlooked by Ginny who was quickly intrigued.

Ginny seemed to read Hermione's mind at the exact moment Hermione came up with the thought. Ginny let out a chuckle.

"You can't be seriously thinking you might be pregnant." Ginny scoffed, "As far as I know there hasn't been a single male here that you might have…"

Ginny trailed off and Hermione tried to hide the fact that she was horrified. She calmly placed her teacup on the table and clasped her hands together but before Hermione could piece out a simple explanation, Ginny was already assuming the worse.

"Was there anybody, 'Mione?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked away, bit her lip and tracing her finger tip around the rim of the cup.

"No." Hermione sighed out, reassuringly, "Why would there be?"

ooo

Hermione watched Teddy run up and down the staircases as Andromeda stood next to her watching Teddy as well. He was everything a five-year-old kid was except for the electric blue hair. Andromeda chuckled and shook her head as Teddy suddenly stopped and gave them a curious look.

"He's very excited for his birthday party." Andromeda laughed, "You _are_ coming, right?"

Hermione smiled, holding on nervously to a folder, "Yes. I have his present ready. A children's Wizards Chess. He may be too young but I figured it would give Harry and Teddy something to bond over."

Andromeda crossed her arms in content and sighed.

"Can you really believe it's been five years?" She asked.

"Of course not. But the peace is so abundant now that it feels like the days are longer." Hermione nodded as Teddy ran over to them and flung his arms around Hermione's legs.

"This house is enormous!" He piped, "If I had a broom stick I would fly around-"

"No broomsticks, Teddy." Andromeda warned, "He's been begging for one since he saw Harry fly around with James in his arms. Ginny nearly had a breakdown when she discover the three of them riding around in the backyard."

Hermione sighed, "Andromeda, I'm sure you're wondering why I invited you. I know you must be busy today and I thank you for coming."

Andromeda cracked a smiled, "Well you had me puzzled when the owl you sent said Teddy's gift wasn't something you can wrap up but a chess game is pretty manageable isn't it?"

"Well it's more than just a wizard's chess…" Hermione cleared her throat looking around, "I want to give Teddy the Manor."

Andromeda didn't say a word for a full long minute. Teddy had a deathly grip on Hermione, who stroked his blue hair.

"You can't… you can't be serious." She breathed out, "We can't accept. There's no way! This is your house!"

Hermione smiled, "It is, but it belongs to you. It came to my attention that the previous house owner was your husband. He wanted to restore this manor because it belonged to his parents at one point. It had been abandon for a while when the deed somehow landed in the Malfoy's hands… They sold it and coincidently I brought it."

Andromeda cupped her mouth with her hands, unable to speak.

"Ted Tonks wanted to surprise you but he unfortunately past before he could let you know about this manor…" Hermione explained, "It belongs to your family. Another strange thing about this manor, your husband was said to be completely muggle born, correct?"

Andromeda nodded.

"I think his magical blood line runs a bit thicker than you think." Hermione smiled.

Andromeda sniffed, "It was never about blood. It was never my focus to place a status on people by what their blood linage was."

"I was clearing out the library when I found two old magic books along with a jar of dragon's blood…" Hermione explained, "As I said before this was your husband's parent's home… why would muggles posses that type of magic artifacts?"

Andromeda sniffed, "Ted perhaps. Maybe he placed it there."

Hermione smiled, "Well no matter how they got there, what's important is giving this to its rightful owner."

"I can't accept Hermione." She shook her head, "I really can't. It's a really touching gesture but I can't do this to you, after all you put into this manor and how it helped you…"

"Then my work would be in vain if the rightful owner isn't living here." Hermione insisted, "Which is why I'm handing the manor over to Teddy. I assumed it would be easier to persuade Teddy to take the manor than persuading you."

Andromeda stifled a laugh.

Hermione squatted down to Teddy's level and held his tiny hands.

"What do you say Teddy?" Hermione asked, "Would you like to live here?"

Teddy's face brighten up and his hair turned a bright yellow, "For forever?"

Hermione smiled, "For as long as you want."

Teddy looked up at his Grandmother and looked down as Hermione presented the folder she had been holding to him. His plump little fingers grasped the folder and carefully opened it. He saw the deed and looked at Hermione.

"I can read my name." Teddy pointed to his name. Hermione nodded.

"Do you know what this says?" She asked.

Teddy shook his head, his hair slowly fading into a mousse brown.

Hermione cleared her throat, "It says: _The town of Wiltshire fully recognizes Theodore Remus Lupin as property owner of the Tonk's Manor…_"

Hermione heard a sniff. She turned to look up at Andromeda who was struggling to keep tears from flowing. She took out a handkerchief and patted her cheeks.

"It's touching." She choked out, "But we can't live here alone. Like you said, you put in so much effort into this, how can we possibly let you leave."

"I'll be staying at Ginny's for a bit before I move into a flat in London." Hermione smiled, "It'll be fine."

"And if I need help with Teddy?" Andromeda asked, "He get's awfully bored when it's just the two of us."

Teddy grinned, "I get to live with 'Mione?"

Hermione bit her lip, "I'm not so sure…"

Andromeda placed a hand on her shoulder, "That's my only condition. We will accept this deed and move in only _if _you stay as well."

Hermione tried to reason but failed to do so, not with a stubborn Andromeda and a boy that continued to cling on to her legs. It was almost if her own family was merging and how could you say no to family?

"Alright." Hermione gave up, "I'll stay. Now if you excuse me, I have to get ready soon if I want to make it to Teddy's party on time."

Teddy's hair turned a violent blue, once more.

* * *

><p><strong>So I think this sums up what may or may not happen in the future. I honestly, want to hear your opinions of this route because at this point I can still change things to please the masses without losing they entire idea of the fic... Hmmm. The next chapter should be fun, we'll be catching up in Draco and his fantastic life. Stay tuned in and...<strong>

**_Review._**


	23. Chapter 23

**Update! Here's Draco's part! And I apologize if it seems like a filler chapter...ahem. I tried not to make it seem that way but it does give a lot of insight to Draco... I hope. Cross your fingers!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-three

ooo

Draco shoved his hands out of his pockets to loosen his tie he had just gotten back from work and instead of looking for Astoria he headed the opposite direction. He took a brisk walk out of the new manor or, as Astoria likes to put it, the Chateau towards a tiny looking house made of round stones that over looked the massive landscape riddled with cows and sheep. He leaned over the rails of the small porch, propping his weight on his elbows and sighed out. Out of all the places he though he would end up, none of them came close to this, even if it was planned out all along. In the corner of his eye he saw his own manor. The home that he shared with Astoria, who was busy at the moment directing the house elves for spring cleaning, was even bigger then his former home. It was almost overwhelming. It was too much too look at when the French countryside was battling for attention.

It was one of the many reasons why Draco preferred to spend his time in the servant dwelling. It was a small house, much more suitable for the countryside. It had been unused since the only servants they had were a couple of house elves that Astoria liked to keep in the manor for accessibility and convenience. The servant dwelling was a good five-minute walk away from the manor next to the empty stables and an old unused barn.

Draco liked the tiny house a lot more than he did his own manor. Although it was old and dirty on the inside, Draco favored the back porch to sit and think. He thought about many things but most of them revolved around Hermione. He thought about her quirks and how he could use them at the moment to tidy up the dwellings. Although Draco could never say he really knew her, he was sure she would prefer this little house rather than the manor she fixed up.

He breathed in the fresh air and smiled as he came up with a thought. This is how people should be raised: out in the open, free to explore to their hearts desires instead of being cooped up in a dark and cold manor like he was. The quaintness of the home forced Draco to think of a simpler life and how he could have turned out if he was raised like this, like Ron who knew nothing but to appreciate that family alone was enough to be happy.

Draco's thoughts drifted back to Hermione, back to the Hogwarts years. He often made fun of Ron who took years to realize his attraction to Hermione but it took him well over a decade to admit to himself that he had in fact always been oddly attracted to her.

It wasn't as foolish and outright obvious as Ron and Hermione's feelings were. In fact, Draco was certain that one day Ron would fall for her. It was a joke his friends shared once in after quidditch practice his third year. Draco's input was minimal but he did remember thinking to himself that Ron would have to grow two brains to keep up with Hermione if he ever intended on holding a decent conversation that didn't revolve around Harry. Even if she was a mudblood, Draco thought he could hold a conversation about blood linages with her but then again, it could have resulted in bloody noses and a trip to the Hospital wing. Still, he had no idea how after years of having a passionate hatred for her the small heated moments between them had resulted to what he felt at the moment.

Maybe is was the fact that she never fawned over him and stood her ground every time they met or that out of all the girls in school she was perhaps the only person Draco could have ran to if he needed a question answered about potions or transfiguration, if it wasn't for his disgust for her and the fact he was just as knowledgeable as she was.

Although Hermione proved to be the biggest annoyance in the history of Hogwarts, despite his frequent attempts to turn them in she always proved to be a weakness to him. The most memorable was witnessing Hermione withering on the floor of his Parents home, underneath his aunt Bellatrix who was etching the word _mudblood _on her arm with a knife. He walked in after being called for by his mother. It was the first time he wished he could have been call sooner to prevent it from happening. Draco remembers hearing the shrills screams which caused him to hurry down the staircase.

"Draco!" His aunt shrieked, "Come! Is it her? Is it the fifthly mudblood?"

Draco couldn't look her in the eye. In fact, he couldn't look Hermione's way. He hated the position he was force to be in: either save the girl who you never got along with or stay loyal to his upbringing.

"I don't know…" Draco gulped.

And for months after the war was over he often wondered why he couldn't just be either completely against her or defy his family and save Hermione, Potter, and Weasle. He was pathetic. It was something he couldn't shake off. The morning after the war was over he stood in the middle of the ruins of his dormitory and regretted almost everything. He regretted not ever being dedicated to one side. He wavered back and forth like a coward, he could have at least died and be proud that he stood up for what he believed in...

And that's what confused him, what _did _he believe in?

Draco kicked the rubble aside and parted the curtains of his four poster bed. His eyes landed on a body that was curled up in a ball, a blaze of brilliant brown hair was carelessly toss across his pillow.  
>Draco blinked.<p>

A girl was in his bed.

The girl stirred and suddenly sat up in fear. Her wide eyes landed on Draco and she crawled as far back as she could. Draco recognized her immediately: Daphne's sister, a Greengrass, perhaps the only pureblood family that never had any involvement with the Dark Lord. Draco shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing in my bed?" He asked.

Astoria tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and chewed on her lip, "Where's my sister?"

Draco shrugged, "How should I know?"

"She was sleeping with me. Where is she?" She asked again.

"I don't know," Draco sighed, "Anyways, what are you doing here? Strange place to sleep during a battle, no?"

Astoria looked away, "We didn't want to fight so we came up here. I was panicking because I thought some deatheaters saw us slipping into the common room so Daphne lead me up here. She went back to hex the deatheater and when she came back, she put a sleeping spell on me so I could relax…"

Draco nodded, not really caring about her battle story.

"Where is she?" Astoria glared.

Draco rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't know, I just came up here to collect my belongings."

"What kind of deatheater are you?" Astoria questioned, looking at his exposed forearm.

Draco quickly concealed his mark and order Astoria out of his bed. She obliged but before she left his dormitory, Draco stopped her calling out her name.

"Greengrass."

Astoria paused, flicking her bangs away from her eyes, "Yes?"

"You're a 6th year, right?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"You're coming back to Hogwarts right?" Draco asked.

"I suppose if it's restored," Astoria shrugged.

Draco shrugged, "Do you know anything about Golpallot's laws?"

Astoria cocked her head, "Potions, right?"

Draco gave a halfhearted smirk, "What about alchemist relations to transfiguration?"

Astoria stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. Draco let out a sigh and pointed at her.

"Should I explain?" He asked.

Astoria shrugged, "Should I know?"

He bit his lip and looked around in the ruins of his past, "How about I explain it to you over tea, are you busy?"

Astoria cocked her head to the side and slowly shook her head. Draco grinned at her and held out his elbow as he approached Astoria. She reluctantly hooked her arm with his and let herself be led out by Draco.

Draco figure that he wasn't alone on wavering between shades of grey. Decisions are never really black and white. For the first time, he didn't feel so guilty about it and lucky for him, Astoria was able to take his mind off the war. A lot was spoken during a mindless chat that same day. Draco went on about menial things like camping and the taste of the tea and all Astoria did was listen. He was very thankful for that because she kept his mind off the past he wouldn't be able to quickly separate himself with. She also made him realize that at the end of the day, it's never easy to choose family over what's right and for a while Draco finally saw his redemption. In his moment of weakness, he had done a lot for the golden trio. The school taunting and all the teasing seemed belittled by the fact that his inability to choose sides had spared Hermione's life if would have confirmed her identity which in turn would have been his fall if Harry decided not to rescue him from the fyrefiend to avenge Hermione.

Draco inhaled the fresh air and expelled it from his lungs slowly. He had a brief image of Hermione walking down steps: of her curled hair, a flowing dress, and a sparkle in her eye.

The corner of his mouth turned upward when his mind ventured off to his 4th year. There wasn't much that stood from that year other than the World Cup, Hermione at the Yule Ball, and the shivers he got from either the cold or from seeing her in a different light.

True, he still hated her but unlike Ron, he fully acknowledged the fact that Hermione was indeed a girl. Draco couldn't see how Ron had missed that. Even behind the mass of bushy hair and that annoying know-it-all voice she had, Draco wasn't completely oblivious that she was of the female species. In his second year, as most girls would strut past him to grab his attention, sometimes Hermione would be the only girl who would fill his mind. At first he thought it was because she proved to be more irritating than Potter but there were times were Draco noticed her swaying her hips a bit more and didn't find it so annoying. Still, the transformation at the Yule Ball proved that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't throw an insult at her to save his life. He was even obsessed with coming up with a witty remark all night just so he could grab her attention even if it was just for a second. It was hard to show up Viktor Krum, anything Draco could have done in order to have Hermione glance at him was in vain because who would pay attention to anything else when the Bulgarian Bon Bon was your date?

That night while Draco slipped his hand underneath Parkinson's dress and ran his fingers through her hair, they parted their kiss to stare at each other for a moment. For a split second Draco could have swore Parkinson's eyes were round and soft just like Hermione's and the second he made the connection both of his hands fell to his side's and he walked away.

Now, summing up his moments with Hermione in the past year seem to make up for all the bitterness between them for the other years. They were just two people and sometimes nothing else matter when they were bickering over the fact of being friends. Draco will never understand how his sights veered off from Astoria to Hermione but Draco's biggest regret was not walking away from her to attend his own wedding, no. His biggest regret stems back to his past when he could have easily been persuaded by the right friends to be good. His path could have been avoided if he would have been humbled and not care of the pressure his father placed on him. Then, maybe, he could have gotten on Hermione's good graces and would have given Ron a run for his money.

He chuckled.

That would have been fun to experience. Ron and Draco fight over Hermione. The world would never believe it. And even if it was unbelievable, Draco settled on the thought that no matter how hard he would try to win over her affections, something inside of him told him Hermione would always pick Ron over him, even in the best circumstances.

Draco almost felt his heart stop.

He didn't want to think of it but it was the truth. In this lifetime, he was considered lucky to befriend her even for just a bit and to get to lay with her was a win of the lottery. Draco bit his lip.

It was then Draco realized it was his mistake for falling for her fully knowing that the outcome would never be in his favor. Not now, not ever. There as a dull jab in his chest that grew in intensity, and a warmth that spread that almost felt like his insides were bleeding. It was stupid for fooling himself into believing that just because you love someone, means it could work out. Draco snorted. Look where he was now. He was in France starting off a new wedded life with his wife… in an oversized home with nothing to do but get lost in the maze of the _Chateau._ Draco bit his lip. That was it for him. There was nothing else to look forward to other than the rest of his life with Astoria. That should be exciting enough. He_ should _be looking forward to it and Draco was sure he could be excited about stupid things like having more family dinners and possibly… having children. That was fun, right?

With one last though, Draco decided it was time to end his mental battles of Hermione. It was time to let her go. He was no good for her and that just the way his world turn out. He was only trying to help, wasn't he? Had he not fulfilled Harry's wishes? Of course, he had. Now that he was no longer needed, Draco could move on and carry on with his life.

"Dear? Are you here again?"

Draco perked up and looked behind him to find Astoria emerging from the servants dwelling, out to the porch. Draco gave her a small smile and motioned her over.

"Didn't expect you." Draco admitted.

Astoria fiddled with the hem of her embroidered cardigan, "You've been spending quiet some time here… I'm curious."

Draco held his arm up, to which Astoria quickly ducked under so he could rest his arm around her shoulder.

"Just thinking…" Draco smiled, "Its really quiet out here."

Astoria uncertain to what her husbands disappearances meant, only nodded.

"Thinking of what?" She asked.

Draco sighed, "Everything. You were right, I do love the country side."

Astoria smiled, almost relieved, "I'm glad you do."

"There's so much space… I was thinking about getting some horses." Draco invented, "You know, to fill all the empty spaces and to actually have a reason to come down here and breathe."

"Horses?" Astoria repeated, "You know with a horse around, the air won't be as fresh."

Draco chuckled, "I suppose you're right."

They remained silent and took the few moments to reflect on the past, each thinking of something entirely different from each other.

"You know what I like about this place?" Astoria asked.

"What dear?"

"No neighbors," She answered, "The privacy is on a completely different level and the land that goes around for miles and miles is entirely ours."

Draco smirked, "I do like privacy…"

Astoria perked up and gave him a look.

"Do you now?" She bit her lip.

Draco kissed her softly, an action that was greatly appreciated by his wife. Astoria's hands trailed to his shoulders and as she pulled apart from Draco she clung on to his tie.

"How about we go back to the Chateau?" Astoria tempted.

Draco looked around, "What about here?"

Astoria paused to look around, "But it's filthy in there!"

"Why not out here?" Draco suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Draco! You- What? You can't be serious!" Astoria began to talk in a hushed whisper, "We're outside! Are you crazy?"

"Like you said, no neighbors… very _private_." Draco teased, grinning down at Astoria who seemed to want none of it.

She crossed her arms, "I'll be waiting in our room. If you're curious about what I'm wearing underneath this dress, then I suggest you finish up your thinking and hurry on down. Astoria slipped back into the dwellings to exit out the front.

Draco watched her leave slowly and with one last final thought about Hermione, he pushed it back to the deepest ends of this mind and smiled. It was one of the few memories that made him smile like a goof.

"I'm done!" He yelled out and ran for it. He threw the front door open and startled Astoria who was a couple of feet ahead of him. She began to run as Draco started to chase after her. The couple weaved in and out of the long grass toward the Chateau. The day was nearing it's end and as Draco sped through their front doors gaining ground on Astoria, not one single thought was ever spend on Hermione for a very long time.

ooo

Hermione climbed down the ladder to grab a book from the upper shelves of the library. She examined the book and stared at it, rereading the title over and over again. Somehow Hermione was unable to retain the book title due to a sudden vivid image that flashed through her head.

One of Draco shoving books off the library table and slamming her down as he crawled on top of her. Hermione immediately cleared her throat, closing her eyes as she tried to focus.

Hermione wasn't sure how or why the memory suddenly filled her mind but she tried very hard to concentrate back to the book in her hands. She climbed the rest of the steps down and jumped off the last step. She ran past that same table without looking at it and went into the kitchen, where Andromeda was cutting up a few vegetables.

"Here, I think I read a recipe for a stew in this." Hermione smiled.

Andromeda thanked her and cracked open the book. Hermione stood there thinking about Draco. Although she hated to admit it, she owed a lot to him and although she fooled her head that a romance could grow of their budding friendship, she always knew that it would be impossible to do so. Hermione will always keep the secret of the time she almost fell for Draco Malfoy and as time passes she will neither forget nor dwell on it.

* * *

><p><strong>Awwwh! Don't be disappointed! Although it might seem they growing apart things will turn out for the better... because it is <em>my<em> story and I will make sure it does. Yes, so did having an insight to Draco's head prove satisfying? Yes? No?**

_**Review?**_


	24. Chapter 24

**SO I just noticed that I pasted over 100 reviews and I am VERY grateful for all the readers who took the time to put down their thoughts! It really kept me motivated and thanks to you, I have gotten _this _far on this story. I'm looking at the outline for my story I made up before I started writting. UNFORTUNATELY, I sort of stopped at the first part SO you can imagine how unorganized and not well-thought out the next few chapters might be, but rest assure I am building the outline for part 2... but it's not soo bad, is it?**

**Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-four

ooo

"Well are you or are you not?" Ginny shouted up at Hermione who was scurrying around her room. She could feel her pulse rising. She could hear Ginny's footsteps crawling up the staircase and that only made her more nervous.

"Uhhhh…" Hermione began, "Hold on!"

"Hermione!" Ginny shrieked, "You can't stay up there forever!"

Hermione rummaged through her nightstand and found the one single hairpin she needed to hold up her hair. She quickly ran to the mirror and stabbed her hair with it. Content that the hairpin worked, she turned to head for the door to only find Ginny waiting there looking annoyed.

"Are you ready? We're going to be late!" Ginny sighed, placing a hand on her waist.

Hermione smiled, "Yes, yes. Let's go."

Ginny smiled and waited for Hermione to join her side begin heading for the fireplace.

"I am very proud of you." Ginny smiled, "The amount of things you have accomplished in such a little time and now you get an entire party in honor of you."  
>Hermione winced, "Please, it's mainly for Harry and you know none of us like the attention."<p>

"Please, if wasn't for you Harry would have never been able to extinguished some of the old blood supremacy laws." Ginny elbowed her side playfully, "Plus it is very important for you to be there to be there to support Harry. He's been granted a very special honor that he wants to share with you."

"What of?"

Ginny shrugged, "I can't tell you."

Hermione groan and shoved Ginny into the fireplace and gave her a fist full of Floo Powder. Ginny stepped back out and carefully ushered Hermione in her place.

"I am not going first," Ginny insisted, "Knowing you, you would probably run back upstairs the moment I go _poof_!"

"Of course not." Hermione muttered, "How can I when you bribed with pumpkin pastroes Andromeda to make sure I don't run off tonight."

"What? I would _never_!" Ginny said defensively.

Hermione glared at her, "I over heard you while Andromeda was putting James and Teddy to sleep."

Ginny let out an innocent chuckle, "Oh… Well… I had to repay her somehow, that women sure knows how to tame a crazy 8 month old baby with out having to jump on a broom."

Hermione deepened her glare at her and stepped into the fireplace, "The Ministry of Magic!"

_Poof._

ooo

Hermione and Ginny spent most of the night mingling and socializing with Wizards. Most of them were being presented to Hermione in hopes that Hermione would take a liking to someone. Hermione didn't take the bait. Ginny almost considered it a complete failure until Cormac McLaggan entered the scene. Hermione protested. Hell, Hermione almost made a scene. But Ginny insisted upon it.

"Do you not remember what I told you back in the 6th year?" Hermione hissed, "In nearly down right insulted you and Ron and now you want me to be _civil _towards someone who once hated your brother?"

Ginny forced a smile, "People change, 'Mione. I think you experienced that well enough last year, plus he's not that arrogant any moooo- Oh My goodness Cormac! You made it!"

Ginny's sudden change in voice nearly gave Hermione shivers. She turned around to find Cormac McLaggen as handsomely irritating as she remembered him. Hermione's hand flew to her earring and shyly played with it, something to control her nerves at the moment.

"Yes! I couldn't miss the chance to speak to Harry about another law that should be eradicated." Cormac boasted.

It almost made Hermione cringe but the fact he was talking about laws, intrigued her.

"What law?" Hermione crossed her arms.

Ginny smirked and stepped back, winking at Cormac before leaving them alone.

Cormac cleared his throat, "The rights of magical creatures. House elves to be more specific but it also implies the rights of Goblins and the controlled breeding's that have been impacting the population of many of the magical plants and animals species we use everyday."

Hermione cocked her head in amazement, "I didn't know that you cared for elves."

Cormac smirked at her, "There is much you don't know about me Granger."

Hermione snapped out of her amazement and cleared her throat, "Although that's very impressive McLaggen, I have to disagree with you on one thing."

"And what is that?"

"The reason for controlled breeding is that if a species over populates the dangers of it bleeding over to muggle society can greatly put our world at risk for exposure." Hermione argued, "The final war stretch the boundaries of how much can we expose to muggles until they figure out that there's more than what meets the eye to them."

"So you rather pay 30 sickles for an ounce of wolfsbane in order to maintain the integrity of the secrecy of our world?" Cormac challenged, "See, the inflation of prices is becoming ridiculous and the only solution is to lift the controlling enchantment just for a period in order to restore our magical economy."

Hermione crossed her arms, "Yes. I don't mind paying that much."

"What about the dwindling population of owls?" Cormac mentioned, "You can't ignore the fact that Owls are being over used due to the decreasing amount of them which is possibly one of the reason why we are seeing a steeper dip in the population count in England."

Hermione bit her lip, "Owls?"

"My dear, haven't you noticed? Purchasing an owl nowadays is nearing 50 galleons!" Cormac waved his cup of brandy around, "It's insane! But because of that reason many wizards are reaching out to the local owl post offices but even then, it seem we are tiring them out to their last efforts… Shame."

Hermione had no idea she cleared her throat and looked around for Ginny for a rescue. She needed someone else's input so her loss of words wouldn't seem like she was a fish gasping for water. Much to her panic, Ginny was no where to be found.

"If you could excuse me for just a second…" Hermione smiled before sidestepping Cormac to begin her search for Ginny in order to kill her. Before she could take another two steps away a hand reached out for her and pulled her back. At the same moment, a loud voice boomed over the buzz of the crowd to introduce Harry. Hermione scowled that she couldn't get away from Cormac fast enough. It was almost like the Slug Party again.

"May I have your attention please? I hope you are enjoying your evening with us as well as enjoying the food that has been provided for us. As you may have read or heard about the recent accomplishments of the ministry of magic on eliminating laws placed forth by the old order during the final war, replaced by many new and improved laws that will guarantee the rights and freedom to any witch or wizard. This could have been easily over looked if it wasn't for our very own Harry Potter, who brought forth the attention to these law that were still very much in affect in areas of smaller populations of magical folk. Now please, give a warm welcome to Mr. Potter who will grace us with his presence. Harry?"

Hermione stood on her tip-toes to see Harry step onto the small platform as he humbly accepted the cheers from the entire vicinity.

"I think it's too late to persuade him." Cormac sighed.

Hermione glared up at him, "Huh?"

"I was about to ask you if you could find Harry and talk to him about the Elf Law." Cormac shrugged, "You two are close. I'm sure if I could get you on my side, Harry wouldn't say no to you."

Hermione stopped listening to Harry who introduced himself and Ginny who was standing beside the platform beaming up at him.

"You…" Hermione trailed off, "You weren't trying to…"

Cormac smirked at the thought that Hermione was confused with his intentions.

"Well I've got to network in order to get points across, no?" He sent a flirty look towards her, "And I know I have a habit on make a terrible first impression on people but sometimes you have to be assertive to get what you want in life."

Hermione chuckled, "And if it fails?"

Cormac stopped clapping for Harry who said some very though provoking words that cause a reaction from the crowd.

"Granger," Cormac said, lowering his head towards her ear, "It never fails."

Instead of the usual hatred of arrogance Hermione felt, she felt something entirely different. Hermione playfully shoved him away and tried to pay attention to Harry which proved difficult when Cormac made very good points when Harry proposed new plans for the wizarding world if the Minister could give him enough time to execute it. Hermione was impressed and found it almost alluring the way he would dip down to whisper information into her ear. At one point the tickle of his breath on Hermione's ear sent a shiver down her spine that she wiggled away from his space. She laughed it off and playfully shoved Cormac aside to gain her personal space back. She tried very hard to keep her eyes on Harry that the second breach of personal space Hermione scanned the crowd to see if anyone was noticing them. Every single head was turned to Harry except for one. The moment a pair of brilliant grey eyes met hers, Hermione froze.

"So without further ado, I wish to present the honor to Hermione Granger who I hope will accept the offer to help out in managing sorting out any new proposed laws and the run the campaign against blood linages." Harry announced, "Ms. Granger is perfectly capable in the task. She has proved herself to me and to the Minister in aiding me with the five new order laws. And besides being an exceptionally good friend, she's a dedicated worker and through her I believe we can advance through the new order even faster. Hermione?"

Hermione tore her sight away from the grey eyes, Cormac gently nudged her to snapped her back to reality and began escorting her towards the platform. Hermione felt her heart race as she neared the stage. Her hands clasped in front of her belly. She wasn't sure if could talk in front of that many people. Not in her condition and certainly not in front of the pair of grey eyes.

ooo

_Three months earlier…_

_Hermione was certain she was gaining weight now. She had suspected it before and now that Teddy was around, the ruthless truth of a five year old can bring forth topic Hermione had been avoiding. So in order to keep Teddy from ever making fun of her plump thighs Hermione began to wake up in the earl morning to go for a jog. However, she would constantly push herself past her limits that would always result in her regurgitating at the side of the dirt pavement. She felt weak for a moment but it didn't stop her from trying. The results of her efforts was paid off when she noticed a significant slimming of her legs and before she was content with the lower part of her body Hermione avert her attention to her upper half and nearly had a fit. Her stomach felt tighter and not in a "I'm in shape" type of tight and her breast were nearly swelling out of her brassier. It didn't make sense to her until one day Andromeda and Hermione were chatting over tea about their days and Hermione brought up a couple of points that intrigued Andromeda._

_"I'm sorry, did you say that you've been throwing up every morning?" Andromeda questioned._

_Hermione nodded, "I've been jogging every morning to get back into shape. I know Teddy meant nothing harmful from it but he's right, I have gained a bit of weight."_

_Andromeda nodded slowly and set her teacup down. _

_"Hermione I don't want to be rude for assuming things nor do I want to intrude into businesses that are none of my own…" Andromeda trailed off, "But suppose it's time for you to go to St. Mungo's to check up on the progress of that child you're carrying."_

_Hermione paused and then let out a laugh, "I'm not pregnant."_

_"Dear it's you against my years as a retired nursing matron." Andromeda winked, "My trained eye isn't as good as it used to be but I could tell you're probably more than five months along. The baby is pretty small but not to worry, usually the growth rate increases exponentially around this time."_

_Hermione scoffed, "I am not pregnant."_

_"Dear." Andromeda insisted._

_"No!" Hermione shouted, "You don't understand I can't be pregnant!" _

_Andromeda motion Hermione to calm down, "My child, it is perfectly normal for your age. And if this comes as a shock to you then, I suppose nobody else knows… Yes, I suppose you wouldn't want to let the child be born in St. Mungo's where gossip can be born and spread like wildfire.."_

_"How do you know?" Hermione asked, "How?"_

_"Your face," Andromeda smiled, "It looks a lot more feminine from all the hormones running through you, which causes you to glow. Plus, you're hair has grown so fast since I got here. And what you just revealed to me, morning sickness and sudden changes in weight without changing your eating habits… Dear, if you're skeptical, a simple spell can help your mind at ease."_

_Hermione stared at her._

_"And if you want to be more impressed, I can tell you now it's a girl." Andromeda winked._

_Hermione gulped and nodded, "Yes, let's find out. What's the harm…" _

_Andromeda pointed her wand at Hermione and a bright glow emerged from inside, like an inner light. It radiated so brightly that Hermione could see beyond her skin and a shadow figure formed on her belly, a small fetus. Andromeda smiled and nodded. _

_"It's a girl." _

_Hermione hands flew to her forehead, weighing down the enormous news she just received. She was in fact pregnant and had a difficult time believe it was true…_

ooo

Hermione cleared her throat, convincing herself that the concealment charm, plus the girdle she was wearing was sufficient enough to hide her condition. She climbed on the platform and greeted the crowd. Her eyes scanned the crowd briefly eyeing down Draco who presented himself alone that night. Hermione looked around until she found Ginny and was reminded that Ginny did say that Harry was going to Share something with her. She never imagine he would share this with the entire party.

Hermione cleared her throat and spoke into the Minister's wand, "I had no idea that I'd be standing here, but really Harry deserves all the credit. He could have done it by himself, except he's too busy with his beautiful son. Anyways, thank you for the opportunity and I promise to help rebuild the ministry as best as I can. Thank you.."

And just as her eyes wandered back to Draco, she noticed Astoria pulling him and gradually parting from the partying. Hermione let out a sigh, feeling more relaxed. Unfortunately, the relaxation was quickly replaced by a slight pain in her abdomen. She quickly excused herself and made her way around the crowd. She winced every time a dull pain radiated through her middle sending an almost debilitation blow to her system. It left her almost breathless.

She could tell people were starting to notice from the commotion she was causing. She couldn't help it. She yelped at the last pain she experienced and the current one was weakening her knees. Ginny was right by her side asking, at a million miles per hour, what was wrong. Hermione twisted her face in pain and all she was able to mumbled out was _Take me home._

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't know how to stretch this out because it really would have wished to have Hermione's pregnancy revealed five chapters down the road but then again... I don't want to write filler chapters. Eh...<strong>

_**Review?**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Now that everyone knows that _someone _is carrying _a certain person's_ child, I guess I can finally point out that the double meaning of the title. The first was obvious, the dragon's blood that Hermione found but it also means the creation of this child Hermione will have. Get it? Dragon's Blood? Eh? EH? Arn't I clever? Well, at least I'd like to think so... ahem...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-five

ooo

Hermione and Ginny stumbled out of the fireplace and Ginny screamed out of Andromeda. Almost instantly, James shrill cry was heard. The echo of Hermione's screams verberated through out the house amplifying the pain she felt. Andromeda emerged from her Teddy's room with a boy with shiny black hair trailing not far behind. She cautiously approached Ginny who was trying her best to comfort her friend. Hermione, although in pain, began to unzip her navy blue dress off amost frantically. It pooled around her feet as Andromeda handed James to Ginny who instantly bounced him to sooth James.

Hermione let out a cry.

"Get it off me!" She shrieked, "It hurts!"

Andromeda looked at Hermione, who could feel her face stained with a trail hot tears flowing for her eyes. It wasn't the panick that Hermione was tearing over, it was the unusual pain that plagued her bottom torso. Still, with the debilitating pain, Hermione struggled to remove the girdle she had worn that night. Andromeda jumped at the job to take off the girdle, fumbling with the clasps and buckles. The moment it was ripped off from Hermione's waist Andromeda lifted the concealment charms and Hermione's stomach began to swell up. Ginny who was occupied with taming James was distracted as Astoria escorted Hermione to the staircase, sporting a round belly.

Ginny's jaw dropped and suddenly found herself jogging up the stairs after them. Her mind must be deceiving her. The _firewhiskey_, Ginny concluded, must have been a lot more stronger than she remembered it to be. By the time Ginny reached Hermione's room, Andromeda had Hermione slip into a night gown and was now lying on her side, curling up around her protuding stomach.

Andromeda glanced at Ginny.

"Dear, go get me a flask! It's in the herbs drawer in the kitchen," Andomeda instructed, "It's has a cork stopper."

Ginny shocked and horrified did as she was told as quickly as she could with James in her arms. As Ginny descended, thoughts of Ginny having a breif chat about pregnancies filled her mind. The thought consumed her almost entire that when Harry appeared at the bottom of the steps, it nearly startling the life out of Ginny.

"What's going on?" Harry urgently asked, "Is she okay? Is Hermione okay?"

Ginny couldn't find the words to say so she rushed into the kitchen to grab the flask she was order to get and had Harry follow her into Hermione's room, where the atmosphere was now calmer than it was before Ginny left. Andromeda was rubbing Hermione swollen belly as Hermione tried to stabilize her breathing. Teddy was in the corner playing with his chest set and upon seeing Harry he jumped to his feet and ran for Harry's leg.

"Harry!" Teddy exclaimed, "When will James be old enough to play chess with me? I know you always let me win and it's infuriating at times."

Teddy's hair turned a bright red. Harry let out a forced dry laugh, trying to be honest in his reaction to Teddy but it was near impossible to do when Harry stood there witnessing what seem unbelievable. Even if Teddy was pulling and hanging from his leg at the moment, he stood there, flabbergasted at the scene unfolding in front of him. Ginny seemed to regain herself faster than Harry and handed him James who was alert at this point. Ginny carefully approached Hermione and looked at Andromeda.

"Is she really…" Ginny trailed off.

"Yes dear," Andromeda smiled, "Did you bring the flask?"

Ginny cleared her throat and handed her the small flask.

"Drink this 'Mione," She instructed, "I made this last week. It should delay labor for a week or so. Can't have this little one come out too early, can we? I still haven't finished that quilt I've been making. Hopefully this helps. Plus it sooths the pains. Drink up."

And in a moment, a rush filled Harry's body and before he could understand what he was feeling, he clenched his fist

"Labor?" Harry said, trying to clam himself but the rest inclined as a shout, "As in pregnant _labor_?"

Ginny gave Hermione a stern look, "Why didn't you tell me? You said you weren't."

Hermione let out one last final cry before she drank a sip of the flask that Andromeda tipped up to her lips.

"Please." Hermione panted, "Please understand…"

"Understand? What's there to understand? How could this happen? Who could possibly…" Harry began but stop after coming to a quick realization on the one culprit that had been around Hermione. Harry began to stormed out.

"Harry no!" Hermione shouted, "Ginny, _please_!"

Ginny racedafter Harry and after a few minutes of trying to persuade him, Harry walked back into Hermione's room. Andromeda took the cue to leave them alone to talk and exited, taking Teddy along with her.

Harry stood next to Hermione who avoided his eyes.

"It was _him_ wasn't it?" Harry asked, "Don't lie Hermione. We're in the beginning of September... Who, other than him, has been around you so often?"

"You have to understand Harry-"

"Just answer the DAMN question." Harry spat.

Ginny shoved Harry to the side and scolded him.

"Don't shout! You'll get James worked up again. Let her explain." Ginny cooed, "I'll be back, I'm going to set James down. If I hear any yelling… You know what's coming Harry."

Ginny swiftly left, bouncing a curious James with her.

Harry cleared his throat, "Spill then. Tell me about how you slept with him."

Hermione glared at Harry, "This is why I didn't want to tell a single soul about this because I knew the reaction would be as bad as this."

Harry remained quiet.

"I didn't expect things to turn out this way, Harry." Hermione assured, "I knew sleeping with... _him_ would be vfrowned upon but the moment I knew I was pregnant, I couldn't let anyone know."

"Oh, I suppose you thought to take Ginny's idea a step further and tell the whole world this baby showed up in a basket at your doorsteps." Harry paced around, much like he did before, 9 months ago.

"Harry, I wasn't going to say anything because it deals with… it deals with what had happened. With the experiements." Hermione squeezed her eyes, "You saw me waste away… I had do to something for myself because although I couldn't feel anything, it concerned me the way everyone looked at me."

"Oh so shacking up with Draco was the only solution?" Harry shook his head, "'Mione you were doing so well… whatever he did to make you sleep with him was just _manipulation._"

"_I was doing well? _Listen to me!" Hermione insisted, "There was something very similar to the two experiments Harry. You would understand. You remember the fairy tale Snow White? When she bites the poisoned apple? Draco went through that with the first experiment, okay? Do you remember the solution to lift the spell in Snow White?"

Harry looked away, "A kiss."

"Exactly, so what do you think I would assume when two experiments are nearly identical?" Hermione asked, "I did what I had to and I'm sorry it escalated to this but it was the only way I could be back to myself. It couldn't be anybody else. It had to be Draco."

"What?" Ginny appeared at the door, "It had to be _who_?"

Harry and Hermione sights landed on Ginny who was standing at the door frame. Sweet Ginny suddenly did not seem so sweet anymore. Hermione propped herself up to a sitting position, hoping to explain the situation further with Ginny present. Instead, Ginny began to grab her things and lastly, James's baby bag.

"Come on Harry." Ginny ordered.

Confused, Hermione begged Ginny to stay.

"Stay? _Stay?_" Ginny scoffed, "To hear how you disgraced my brother's memory by sleeping with a _Malfoy_? Didn't know you could stoop so low 'Mione. Harry."

Ginny motioned Harry towards the door and in a matter of seconds they were gone, leaving Hermione completely and utterly alone.

ooo

Hermione didn't hear from anybody for the next week and the anxiety only worsened. Not only did she fear that she lost her friends forever but she feared that the word of her pregnancy might slip out and it was the last thing she needed: A controversy and an angry married women ready to kill her. Despite Andromeda's constant reassurances that although the _entire_ Weasley Family has been informed on the subject, not a single soul outside the family knew about her.

Upon hearing this, Hermione should have been relieved but still she felt a worry build up in her chest it was nearly suffocating.

"They all know?" Hermione asked, looking out the window from her bed. She hadn't been able to move from that spot since she was force to bed rest until her child was born.

Andromeda nodded and pursed her lips together as she examine the last of the brilliant purple quilt she had made for the anticipated baby girl.

"They must hate me. All of them." Hermione bit her lip, feeling a wave of dull pain go through her entire body. It shocked Hermione but she quickly disregarded it.

"Oh, dear." Andromeda mused, "You know as well as I do, there is a _fine _line that separates hate and love."

Hermione sighed and rested her head back on her pillows. For the next fifteen minutes, she silently read a book when that dull pain reemerged. Without thinking, Hermione's hand flew to her stomach and she sat quiet still. Andromeda watched her.

"Feeling something my dear?" She asked.

Hermione bit her lip, "I'm not quiet sure..."

And within a couple of minutes the pain came back and Andromeda was fully sure that it was time. This time around the pain wasn't as shocking as it was before, still Hermione was finally in labor and the thought relieved her after all the drama that ensued over this pregnancy. In a short time, all of it would be over. Andromeda kept a close eye on her for the next couple of hours and Hermione kept experiencing the pain and kept an unusual calm composure.

"Don't you move, I need to go get some towels to clean the baby with. How's the potion working for you?" Andromeda asked,

Hermione smiled, "Like a charm. The pain is almost nonexistant."

Andromeda nodded, "I need to go check up on George, he's been baby sitting Teddy for two days now he must be tired. I'll be back."

Hermione closed her eyes, "_George. _George is here?"

"Yes."

"Can I see him?" Hermione asked hopefully, "If he wants to see me?"

Andromeda nodded and left. The mentioning of a Weasley member present in her own manor gave Hermione the hope that not all was lost, not all ties were broken. She clung onto that hope until Andromeda escorted a very pissed off looking George into the room. Hermione quickly abandon all thoughts that ties could be restored. This is not how she envisioned apologizing for doing what she did. It looked like George was forced to stand in the same room with her, his face looked uninterested and he kept on glancing towards the door.

"I didn't know you were taking care of Teddy." Hermione spoke up, after a contraction subsided.

George forced a smile that turned into a scowl soon after.

"Yeah well, everyone else was busy…" George muttered out.

Hermione gulped and wished she hadn't ask for his presence because the awkwardness was making her more uncomfortable.

"So what are you having?" George asked, trying not to be genuinely interested. Hermione made sure she didn't misread his intentions, he was clearly asking question to diffuse the tension not because he was concerned or interested. Why would George care for a child that should have been his niece?

"A girl." Hermione bit her lip, twisting her face, "Andromeda? I think it's time…"

"Ah, I forgot the towels! Let me go get them."

Andromeda left, much to Hermione's protest. She begged her to forget the towels due to the sudden, frightful, urge to push. Hermione's hands serached for something to hold on to as she yelled for Andromeda. George stood there, in shock. Hermione grasped on to the bed frame for support, yelling for Andromeda to hurry back. She needed her around for support.

And while Hermione was loosing her mind pushing and pushing, a hand reached out for her arm. Hermione's eyes flew open, watching George take her hand and cupping his own two hands around hers. Hermione erratic breathing slowed down as tears poured down form her face. She wasn't sure if she was glad someone was there to support her or because George's demeanor completely changed back to a concerned friend. He talked her through the pushing and when Andromeda came around, she arrived just in time to deliver the baby girl. Hermione let out a last cry before crumbling back into the stacks of pillows supporting her. Andromeda carefully cut the umbilical cord and swiftly wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her over to Hermione who had her arms stretched out for her child.

Hermione began to cry silently. She looked at her baby in amazement who was wailing and withering around in her wrap. George took a look at her and softly smiled.

"Aww hell 'Mione she looks just like you. I still remember that face when you were a 1st year." George chuckled.

It wasn't long before the baby settled down and began observing her surroundings. Hermione was convinced that she was bald but upon further examination by George, he confirmed that she had a thick layer of crisp white hair. George seemed indifferent about the hints of Draco in the baby, in fact he crack a jokes about it through out the entire day he spent with her and Hermione.

"You sure can't say it's not his kid." George smirked, "She's got his cursed eyes too."

"Don't say that. Let me take a look at her." Hermione smiled, streching out her arms.

George moved out of Hermione reach, clearly offended that she was about to take the baby away from his arms.

"Hey there! Let her spend a couple of more moments with Uncle George, you'll have the rest of you life looking after her." George snapped.

"Let me feed her." Hermione insisted.

George slumped over and handed the baby over to the mother. Teddy came in running towards George, landing on his lap observing the bundle of joy that Hermione was smiling down at.

"Is she pretty?" Teddy asked.

"Very." George said winking.

"What's her name?" Teddy cocked his head, his electric blue hair faded into a platinum blonde as well.

George smiled, "Yeah what is her name, 'Mione? Hermione number two?"

Hermione looked down at her baby, who was looking up at her with the same amount of interest.

"I don't know, I didn't give it much thought. What do you think?"

At that moment George and Teddy brighten up.

* * *

><p><strong>Any guesses to the name?<strong>

_**Review?**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Update! Update! We got ourselves an _Update!_ Thank you _ALL_ who have reviewed. It truely warms my heart knowing that I have wrote something worth of reviews. And before I write something sappy and unnecessary for you to read, why don't you go on and read this chapter first...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-six

ooo

Inconceivable. Draco looked at his mother who had just unwrapped her arms around him. It was a simple gesture that could be overlooked by anybody except for Draco, who had never been shown much affection by his parents in his life. Experiencing a hug meant that his mother was about to bribe him, she was about to tell him some news, or there was seriously something wrong with her.

"Welcome mother." Draco stepped aside to allow his mother to examine his new residence. Without wasting a second, she took a long look at her surroundings, forming a small approving smile at the corner of her lips. It was the first time Draco ever noticed something different in his mum. She looked mechanical and almost unnatural. The only ppossible thing running thorugh his mind at the moment was certain news.

"The area large enough?" His mum asked.

Draco cleared his throat, "I believe it could hold the next Quidditch Cup if I allowed it."

"What about the preparations for _this _Quidditch cup? How is that coming along?" She continued.

"Ah. I believe Bulgaria is doing very well. I wouldn't be surprised if they make it past the semi-finals. Brazil and Peru are battling to stay in the tournament." Draco estimated, "But it's still to early to decide. There's 3 years left until the World Cup. Anything could happen."

"I suppose… Haven't found a space for the event have you?" Draco's mother walked around him, the clicks of her heels echoed throughout the foyer.

"Brazil is running a very good campaign to bring the World Cup there." Draco shrugged, "Japan would be exciting too but the amount of security and concealment would have to be raised since it is a tiny island the muggle population is extraordinarily high."

"Astoria? Where is my daughter-in-law?" His mother drawled.

Right on cue, Astoria twirled in, walking on air. Draco held out his arm to which Astoria quickly ducked underneath. She place a loving hand on her husband's chest and greeted her mother-in-law.

"We have wonderful news, Narcissa." Astoria beamed, "We might be pregnant!"

Instantly, Draco's mother beamed up and threw her arms around Draco. He stood there, awkwardly experiencing yet another hug from his mother. She went on to congratulate them both, dabbing the tears in her eyes and going on how she must tell Draco's father as soon as possible.

"Oh no!" Astoria quickly stopped her, "We're not sure yet. I'm waiting for the healer to pay a visit to charm me. But I'm suspecting I am. I feel different."

Regardless of the unconfirmed pregnancy the two women began to squeal and jabber on about the possibility of having the first-born come into their family before the Quidditch cup. Draco cleared his throat.

"What does it matter if our baby is born before the Cup?" Draco asked, a little annoyed.

Astoria rolled her eyes, "Obviously there will be a great interest. Our family portrait might end up on the front page of The Prophet!"

Draco groaned.

ooo

The fact that Hermione was cradling Draco's child in her arms was such an absurd thought Hermione couldn't believe it herself half the time. Like expected, she hadn't heard from him or seen Draco since the party and Hermione was sure that he hadn't thought of her since that night. Usually Hermione had never thought much of Draco before but seeing that her child resembling him as much as she resembled her it was hard not to think of Draco when she looked at Jessamine.

Even the act that created the bundle in her arms was frequently in her head. The only thing she could remember was the after math, how Draco simply left her there. The only explanation she had to support her belief that he was a down right git was how he was cold afterwards. After allowing tears flow down her cheeks for the following moments, Hermione mustered up the courage to sneak out of Draco's room to apparate back into her Manor that New Year's. After regaining her emotions and perceptions she thought it best to share it with family. She quickly fixed herself to leave for the Burrow and before she knew it she was ringing in the New Years as happy as she could be.

Like she should be.

And since then, Hermione hardly let anyone disturb her happiness. Even when the inevitable fact of discovering she was pregnant she didn't let it ruin her.

She was happy.

She was happy because Ron was right in some sense. Hermione still had unfinished business left on earth and whether carrying a child of a pureblood meant that the campaign of mixing bloods can be painted in a positive light then she was glad to be the face of the poster.

But one thing held her back.

Having a child by a man who was already married to someone else wasn't exactly positive and only casted her in a bad light. She could clearly see it.

Hermione Granger: Home wreaker.

Not surprisingly, George was the only comfort she got from the Weasley family. He made jokes and teased her the most. Hermione laughed until she cried. She would shed a few tears up until it turned into real tears because any mentioning of Harry and Ginny was heartbreaking to her.

George was the only person, other than Andromeda, who saw her Jessamine.

"She doesn't cry a lot." She warned, "I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. It worries me."

George placed his two hands at each side of her tiny face as a goofy smiled spread across his face.

"Hey there," He said, "It's Uncle George. I hate to break it to you but not a lot of people like you right now…"

"_George_." Hermione snapped.

George smiled up at Hermione, "But I know the moment they lay eyes on you, you'll melt even Harry's heart which is as cold as ice because he doesn't like you father. By the way, when you grow older marry a Weasley just so Hermione could finally be part of this family, understood? You're not allowed to look at anybody else. And as cute as Teddy is, he's off limits. He'll be like a brother to you."

Hermione laughed, "Was that necessary?"

"Listen, the moment she figures out Teddy isn't a blood brother she might just fall for that handsome git. Girls today think they got options." George shrugged, "But Jessa doesn't have an option. She_ will _marry a Weasley! Plus what better way to piss off Malfoy than to have his daughter marry us. That's even worse than considering a muggle, remember? We're blood traitors!"

"Don't mention him." Hermione softly said.

"Right. He'll never know…" George sighed, "but you know he will eventually figure it out when she goes to Hogwarts. Don't you think people will start talking when Hermione's daughter is sorted into Slytherin?"

"Don't jinx it!" Hermione snapped, "We don't know that! I can't believe you're talking about houses already. Besides, there is a lot more than family history that goes into house placement. You know that."

George smirked, "Don't tell me you haven't given it a thought."

"I haven't!" Hermione haughtily stated.

"Fine. Have you finished her room yet?" George asked, "Angelina is dying to come over and help out."

"What's stopping her?" Hermione muttered.

"The family heard what her name was." George admitted, "Angelina sort of… blabbed about it and they're not very _pleased_."

"What so wrong with Jessa's name?" Hermione asked, looking down at her month old baby.

George cleared his throat, "Well I know I can be very persuasive at times… when mum was pregnant with Ron we all wanted him to be a girl. We named him Jessamine before we knew it was a boy. I bet you're glad that Jessamine wasn't really a Jessa. Needless to say, we were all disappointed that it turned out be Ronald."

Hermione sighed, "I suppose no one thought it was a great idea that you named her Jessamine then."

George winced, "I thought it would be a way to commemorate Ron."

Hermione snorted, "Yeah… name the daughter of Hermione and Draco after Ron's would-have-been name. Excellent."

George frowned, "Ron would have thought it was a great idea. I know my brother, he would have thought it was a hilarious way to throw it in Draco's stupid face, that no matter that fact that he got to sleep with you, Ron still got the last laugh.

"Oh great." Hermione groaned, "I think I'll start calling her Libellue from now on."

George made a face, "No one likes being called by their middle name _Jane_, besides, where in the world did Teddy find the world's weirdest name to call her, and why would you let him in the first place?"

Hermione smiled, "I thought it was sweet, Libellue means _dragonfly_ in French."

"Nevermind about the world's weirdest name, it's actually the world's worst name to call her." George laughed, "Did you think he had any idea of the meaning? The kid immediately blurted it out, remember?"

"I remember," Hermione laughed, "It's a little strange, how a boy who's never been to France wanted to called a name that associated him with her father?"

"So why did you agree to it?" George asked.

"I thought it would be nice to symbolize Draco in some way and I somehow ended picking Ron's would-have-been name from her would-have-been father over Libellue." Hermione smiled at irony of the entire situation.

George sat there thinking about what Hermione had said and broke into a grin.

"She's definitely marrying a Weasley." George smirked, "Go ahead Jessa. Take your pick. There will be plenty of straping Weasley men that would love to be yours."

Hermione snickered.

" 'Mione, could you at least… you know leak out you had a kid?" George pleaded, "There's nothing I would want more than to see that miserable git Lucius roll around on his death bed, hearing that his first born grandchild is marrying a Weasley… or worse, a Potter."

Hermione glared at George and that was the end of the conversation. The rest of the day wasn't extraordinarily eventful. Hermione went on through the motions of motherhood with Angelina, who finally gathered the courage to stop by, deciding whether a yellow bed spread with lavender sheets or a lavender bedspread with yellow sheets would be better. Either way, George would pop in regularly while taking care of Freddie and Teddy and ruined their decision by mentioning that they should just make the entire room green to better suit the Slytherin Duchess.

Angelina rolled her eyes, "Don't listen to him. He's just excited. George has a soft spot for little girls. I guess he grew tired of living in a male dominant house. He wasn't _this_ excited when Freddie was born, and that's his own son!"

Hermione nodded, watching Jessamine sleep from the corner of her eye, "He did mentioned he really wanted Ron to be a girl."

Angelina snorted, "That's George for you. He's already pushing for another baby just so he could have his own girl. He's been crazy over Victorie and Dominique for a while until Percy had _his _girls. For a second he though every man in the Weasley family was going to have girls and then we had a boy…"

Hermione chuckled, "So yellow walls, purple comforter, and pink rugs?"

"That sounds perfect." Angelina smiled.

A voice rang out from outside the nursery, "Green and silver!"

ooo

That night, when Draco and Astoria prepared for bed, he watched his wife do her nightly routine. She was very particular in the order of her routine. She would first pin up her hair for tomorrow's curls, then she would brush her teeth before washing her face, then after climb into bed to read Witch Weekly. Draco never complained or really cared for it until he found himself thinking a lot. Astoria had broke the news of a possible pregnancy two weeks ago and the more he stare at her, the more he thought of a child growing her. Although he stomach was quite flat at the moment, Draco was sure within a couple of weeks that would change.

"Darling." Draco spoke up, "I'm glad you got to tell my mum about it. I was having a hard time thinking of how to let her know."

Astoria turned around from her vanity to look at him, "News like that should not be kept a secret! How could anyone hold in a secret like that for so long? I would explode."

"I wasn't planning on keeping it a secret." Draco rolled his eyes, "Still I found it difficult to find the right words to put together. Are you sure you're all right with telling her this soon? The healer hasn't seen you to confirm the pregnancy."

Astoria looked very offended at that moment, "What are you trying to say?"

"Listen, love, I just thought it would have been better to keep our mouths shut until we're absolutely sure that we are indeed pregnant. I don't want to disappoint mum if we find out you're not. If I had trouble telling her that, I don't want to imagine how hard it's going to be telling her you're not."

Astoria rose from her vanity and crawled into bed with Draco, clutching a rolled up magazine I her hands. She kissed the side of his forehead, smiling down at him as if she was telling him not to worry.

"Believe me, I think I know my body better than any stupid healers." She cooed, "I was thinking… wouldn't it be nice to turn that shack you frequent into a small cozy area for our child? Like a play area where they could escape."

Upon the mentioning of the servants quarters, Draco immediately opposed the idea in his mind. There was no way his space was going to be fixed. He liked the way it was already. The layer of dirt on the ground recorded his footprints and it reminded him of his last visit and the creaks and moans of the house reminded him of what it might have been like to be a Weasley.

After years of making fun of their lack of possessions, Draco realized the less you had, the more you had. And despite the very contradictory thought, it made sense to him. What you lack in one aspect in your life you gain in others.

For the boy who had nothing, had achieved everything.  
>For the boy who grew up having everything, truly had nothing to give.<p>

Draco sat in bed thinking about that_ shack _his wife was talking about and not a second later he sprouted a smile.

"That would be a lovely idea, dear." He forced out, "I'll fix it up."

Astoria smiled, "Maybe you can show your mum the shack. I mentioned it to her and she might like it. She loved the idea of turning it into a space for our child."

Draco snorted, picking up the Daily Prophet and placing his reading glasses, "I doubt she would say that…"

His wife was offended. She glared at his, crossing her arms placing the magazine underneath her arm.

"It's what she said!" She exclaimed.

Draco stayed silent for a couple of minutes, reading the Prophet as if Astoria had never spoken a word. Astoria stared at him, waiting for his response.

"If she did, then there is something very strange going on with my mother." Draco cleared his throat, "She doesn't like things that remind her of a humble life. Certainly creating a space from a servants housing isn't going to sit well with her."

Astoria perked up, "What do you mean?"  
>"My mum likes grandeur, over the top sort of things. If you said she loved the idea… it just seems strange to me. In fact," Draco placed the Prophet on his lap, taking his reading glasses off, "She did seem very strange to me today. It's odd. I know this sounds stupid but I didn't expect her to be so loving today. I know she's my mum but for her to hug me isn't something she does very often. Not for a visit."<p>

Astoria cleared her throat, "Perhaps the news of the baby-"

"She's not like that." Draco interrupted.

"But she's your mother!" Astoria exclaimed, "Mother's have instincts!"

Draco picked up his paper again, growing uninterested in the topic, "I agree. Instincts that came out during the war and subsided since then. She's not the best mum in the world but she's my mum and I know her. She's acting strange. Even at our wedding watching he greet everyone so kindly as if they were part of the family… it made me laugh."

The blood from Astoria's face drained. The fact that she hardly knew how Draco's parents acted was a huge flaw she didn't intend would be scrutinized. A year after of having them under the imperius curse, Astoria wonder what other mistake she's made because of it. She sat there, in thought analyzing in every detail what could have gone wrong and although she couldn't pinpoint anything, an unsettling feeling filled her middle and she knew it wasn't because of her pregnancy.

* * *

><p><strong>To continue my sap... I've never considered myself an extraordinarly writer so when I have a story that a lot of people respond to I'm amazed. And for those that have seen some of the stories I have written for FF, not a lot of them are Harry Potter and that is because this fandom is saturated with incredibly talented writers and it is daunting to step into a fandom knowing that your story could be lost within thousands of other great stories. Anyways, I bring this up because, out of curiosity, I checked the stats for this story and it's quickly becoming one of my best stories to date. And if I could, I would thank each and every one of you with a hug! But since I can't then I want to reveal the upcoming plot twist of this story: <strong>

**First word of this chapter has another meaning. **

_**Review?**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Hope you enjoyed your weekend! I've managed to polish up the next four chapters so I'm be updating more frequently. No promises but I'll have the next chapter up by Tuesday night for those who live west bound. For those across the pond, Wednesday morning for you.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-Seven

ooo

Astoria led Draco into St. Mungo's. She hardly paid attention to any of the staff members who were very curious to see the pair walk into the building. Draco felt uncomfortable. He didn't like St. Mungo's only because somewhere in this building is his father's thick hospital folder. Its contents remain a mystery but the fact that there was a long history of his father in St. Mungo's is never a good sign for any witch or wizard.

Draco didn't know exactly how or when his father became ill. He supposed it was the stress of the war and how he spent time in Azkaban that could have weakened him. It's not like they received a warm welcome after his father was reinstated as a Deatheater after his escape. Whatever it was, his father hadn't been the same and for the past years had trouble recuperating since then.

If it wasn't his nagging cough, it was his joints that bothered him. If the swelling of his joints had gone down, a cold had him bed bound for weeks. If he wasn't bed bound, then he was a St. Mungo's trying to receive potions to help his mind that constantly went blank.

All these years had aged his father a considerable amount. Draco was sure that his father knew what he had but had chosen not to disclosed that information to his family, only because he assured them he would be fine. He would recover. As long as the promise of a child was in the emanate future, he would do just fine.

And that's what they were there for.

Astoria will be told she is pregnant and that's all Draco wanted.

Not because he wanted to be a father but because it seemed that his father was so dependent of seeing that child, even if he didn't get better Draco was sure it would be his last wish that he didn't want to keep from his father.

Astoria cleared her throat as she reached the information counter where the Welcoming Witch was already in surprised to see them approach.

"Healer Pye, please. We have an appointment." Astoria said haughtily.

The Welcome Witch nodded, "Yes. And the reason for the appointment?"

"Confirmation of conception." Astoria replied, glancing at Draco.

The Welcoming Witch paused, slowly looking up. She didn't know whether to be serious or to smile politely. She glanced up at Draco and then at Astoria who was suddenly annoyed at the fact that she was now just looking at them stupidly.

"IS there something _wrong_?" Astoria snapped.

The Welcoming Witch cleared her throat, "Well, Healer Pye doesn't specialize in maternity instances."

Draco sighed, "Can you get us a Healer that is?"

"Actually, none of our Healers are maternally trained." She spoke softly, "Only because nowadays things of that sort are easily taken care of at home."

"Healer Pye, please." Astoria pressed on.

"Madam." The Welcoming Witch pleaded.

"Did you hear me or do I have to find another Witch to help me?" Astoria snapped.

Immediately, the Welcoming Witch began to fill out forms, dipping her quill into the ink as frequently as she could. In a few seconds flat she escorted them to the lifts that took them to the third floor where halls spouted out in different directions from the lift. The Welcoming Witch pointed to her left.

"Take this corridor and Healer Pye's office should be the third door to your right." She instructed, "And I may I say an early congratulations to you both."

Astoria had already left for Pye's office, leaving Draco behind who quickly thanked the Welcoming Witch and hurried to his wife's side.

"Incredible." She muttered, "As if I'm going to let some midwife assist me at home. I want the best care for our child and myself. Don't you agree? Is it wrong to want the best for the sake of our child?"

"No dear." Draco shook his head.

Healer Pye was a kind man. Although the sudden appearance of the both of them had confused him at first, the amount of money they offered to pay him was quickly accepted without any fuss. Maternity topics were _elementary _to Pye, who said he had studied matronly subjects while he was still a 5th year at Hogwarts back in his day.

"It's only luck that I got to be a wizard." He chuckled, "The muggle equivalent to healers are far too detailed on pregnancy. It really makes my eyes water thinking about how deep a subject could go into for a fairly simple and natural procedure."

Astoria cocked her head to the side, "Luck?"

"Muggle-Born." He winked, "I hope that doesn't bother you."

Draco immediately took the chair next to him and faced Pye, "I think what matter's most is your ability to aid us in the bearing of this child. Now if you could, please."

Healer Pye, smiled politely and directed his attention to Astoria.

"How far along are you?" He asked.

"Not much." She sighed, "Perhaps a month or so, although I'm still not sure. We came here to comfirm."

Pye looked over his glasses, stopping as he jotted things down on his scroll, "Comfirm?"

"We're still unsure if she is or isn't." Draco explained.

"Although, I have a gut instinct that I am." Astoria quickly added.

Pye, stayed silent for a moment before setting down his quill and scroll and taking out his wand. He asked Astoria to stand up and lift her shirt to expose her stomach. She quickly did as she was told.

Pye muttered something that Draco didn't quite catch but a spark flew out form the end of his wand and it sunk slowly into Astoria's stomach. A silent moment filled the air and Draco wasn't sure of what they were waiting for. Pye was concentrating on Astoria's middle and Astoria stood there awkwardly waiting for a response. Pye sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes.

"Dear, what symptoms have you been having?" He continued.

Astoria lowered her shirt and sat back down again, "I've been having splitting headaches and my appetite has gone down a considerable amount, I can't stand the smell of anything."

Draco gave Astoria a look. Although he never questioned his wife, he was pretty sure he never asked nor seen any of those symptoms.

Pye sat there for a few moments, "How long have you two been trying to conceive?"

"Since we married." Draco answered, "It's my father's wish to see his grandchild. He's… ill. I'm sure you know."

Another long moment passed before Pye spoke up again.

"I see that for you, as a couple, it is very important to conceive. Mr. Malfoy, for completing the wishes of your father, and for you Mrs. Malfoy, to step up and give your husband what he wants in life at the moment."

Astoria and Draco nodded.

"But I suppose the high expectation of conceiving is causing an amount of stress that is prohibiting you from actually being able to conceive at the moment." Pye explained.

"What?" Astoria spat out.

"You're not pregnant and I assume since it's the only desire you have at the moment you could mistaken simple occurrences as symptoms." He explained.

Draco and Astoria became silent. By the look of his wife's face, Draco could tell she was furious.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked.

"Positive." He nodded, "I know it's a big disappointment but you could keep trying. There's nothing wrong with that. And to ease the stress that could be inhibiting, I'll give you some stress-relieving teas… along with some fertility potions to better your chances and some stimulating one's as well."

"To stimulate what?" Astoria piped up.

Pye gave them a knowing look and handed them the vials and a box of teabags.

"Oh! And stay away from pumpkin foods this year. I heard the crops harvested were as rotten and useless. Don't want to get food poisoning while trying to conceive. More difficult, you see…"

Draco took the things gratefully and thanked him. Before they knew it, they were walking out of St. Mungo's, none of them saying a single word.

ooo

It was odd getting used to the silence.

Ever since Hermione was a tot, she had a preconceived notion that all children were fussy and loud. It was easy to take care of Jessa. Hermione assumed it was going to be a lot more difficult due to witnessing how disorderly James was. Ginny often look sleep deprived and had funny stories on how Harry would often complain about James being too loud when he would listen to the Quidditch matches on the radio. Hermione had none of that. Jessamine was a sound sleeper and it was rare that Hermione would wake up in the middle of the night to her crying. In fact, Jessamine hardly cried at all. George was fascinated about that and started calling her Malfoy because of her very serious demeanor but Hermione knew she was quiet the opposite at times.

She feared Jessamine had inherited that leer Hermione had seen on Draco countless of times growing up. The only difference was it wasn't condescending. Jessa was very observant and curious baby. Even just shy of three month, Jessa had learned that Andromeda was very good at singing lullabies, Teddy was very entertaining and could always sprout a smile out of her, and if she didn't hear her own mother read to her at night, she would stay up until she did.

She was a very curious child.

On Sunday mornings, Andromeda, Teddy, Hermione, and Jessa would wake up as early as they could to greet the cold winter mornings to take a brisk walk over to the neighbors who spoiled their chickens with warmth so they could lay eggs all year round. Once they collected enough eggs, they would skip back to the manor and begin baking English muffins, scrambled eggs, warm oatmeal, and some bacon. Of course, Hermione spent half the time feeding Jessamine milk but she enjoyed the smell of the kitchen so she hung around watching a blonde Teddy play around with his food.

Hermione was a peace. To look back a year ago and notice this significant change in her, from dealing with Ronald's death and having Draco pester her half the time, to actually experience a contentment in life at the moment was truly refreshing to her. Hermione knew it partly had to do with the new life she was currently burping and despite the sudden and clear different path she had taken, Hermione thought it was perfect.

Teddy suddenly stopped eating and looked towards the foyer, listening to the neighbors hound dogs softly howling.

"Someone is at the door." He said.

Hermione shrugged, "Probably the muggle postman."

Teddy jumped off his chair and raced for the door. Andromeda followed him out, muttering something about opening doors to strangers. Hermione cooed down at Jessamine who had a sloppy smile spread over her face as her grey eyes focused on her.

Hermione cocked her head.

It was the first time Hermione had noticed that Jessamine's eyes had turned grey. Before they were just a dark bluish hue to them but they were now a light grey. The difference was clear as night and day. Her eyes had changed…

"Hermione?" Andromeda called.

Hermione tore her eyes off Jessamine and looked up to find Harry and Ginny uncomfortably standing there.

It had been months since Hermione had heard from them and although their exclusion was heartbreaking Hermione had no bitter feelings towards them. In fact, Hermione felt her eyes welting up with tears when she realized that they were actually physically there with her, without throwing insults or staring her down. They both looked intrigued at the sight of her.

Harry cleared his throat and gazed towards the ground.

"Never thought I'd see the day…" He trailed off, never finishing his thought.

Hermione breathed out a smile and waved them over.

"Come," Hermione sniffed out, "Come hold her."

Ginny and Harry exchanged looks and while Hermione expected Ginny to step forward first, Harry was at her side first peering down at Jessamine who now averted her attention to Harry.

It seemed like an eternity to Hermione while they looked at each other. When Harry finally looked away she noticed a rare smile on Harry. Three montsh of resentment was quickly forgotten with one long glance. Hermione quickly asked him if he wanted to hold her.

"It's alright." Harry denied, "Sweaty hands…"

"Hold her." Hermione insisted, handing over Jessamine. Harry carefully took her and once again the staring competition began. Jessamine wiggled around and suddenly, let out her first laugh. Harry beamed up at Hermione.

"Why is she laughing?" Harry grinned.

Hermione shrugged, "It's the first time I've heard her laugh."

"She looks a lot like you… except for the eyes." Harry snorted, "Oh I feel sorry for her already. She's going to hear that from everyone until she dies."

Hermione smiled up at Ginny who was quietly approaching, "Her hair is almost white."

Hermione pulled off her baby cap and a neat fuzz of white blonde hair was revealed. Ginny gasped and took a step back. For a moment Hermione thought Ginny was about to leave but she clutched her chest with both hands and began to laugh.

"George…" She gasped out.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "George has been saying things, hasn't he?"

Harry laughed, "He made Jessamine seem like a creature from the school lake. He would exaggerate almost everything. We didn't know what to expect."

Harry snorted, "For a whole week he had us believing that she had scaley spikes down her back… she doesn't, right?"

Hermione groaned at the exaggeration of lies that George had been producing but it was almost a relief that Hermione had gained her friends back. She didn't know the reason for their unexpected visit or how they had come to decide to visit her this day but Hermione was glad and it seemed like everything was slowly coming back together. The sight of Harry and Ginny gathering together too look in awe of her child without being repulse was enough to keep Hermione happy for the next two life times.

Teddy, black-haired and very unhappy with the lack of attention he was getting, pulled on Hermione's hand to get her attention.

"'Mione, where's James?" Teddy whispered, hoping that they had brought along a playmate to keep him busy.

Harry looked up at the mentioning of James.

"Speaking of James…" Harry cleared his throat, "His birthday is coming up. We stopped by to give you the invitation."

Ginny strained a smile out, "Hermione, I'm really sorry about the way we acted. I feel the need to explain. It was sudden and I hope you understand that I had no idea Draco was…"

"Don't." Hermione shook her head, "You don't need to. I know the reason and even if I felt alone for these past three months, I want to thank you."

"We really didn't consider the fact that… you _what?_" Ginny spat out upon realizing what Hermione just said, "You want to thank us? What for? We've been awful friends."

Hermione chuckled, "As awful as you were, everybody kept the secret and that is enough to be thankful for."

Ginny glanced at Harry and they exchanged looks. Ginny, not knowing what to say next cleared her throat and handed over the envelope to Hermione.

"Here…" She bit her lip, "And… you're welcome?"

"That's the spirit!" Hermione smiled.

And despite rocky beginnings, everything was peaceful for years to come.

* * *

><p><strong>Now, I'll forwarn you. The next chapter takes place in the future but I'd like to hear your thoughts on how the story is developing because I fear, it's going to get a lot more complicated as we roll along but it should be fun, no?<strong>

_**Review?**_


	28. Chapter 28

**Sooo I lied. Tuesday afternoon. It almost scared me how accurate some of your guesses were. Either my readers are extremely intelligent OR I need to be more unpredictable... This won't do. I shall throw in more cliff hangers, blunders, and glitter to spice things up a bit. Ah yes.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-Eight

ooo

_ Five Years Later…_

Hermione bent her knees, squatting down to level out with Jessamine Libellue. Her grey eyes watched her intently as she fitted a cap on her had and reached out for a green scarf to wrap her dainty neck with. She lifted her long blonde hair so her scarf could hang right around her neck.

"Do I have to go?" She spoke up, holding out her arms, ready to be dressed in her pink coat.

Hermione smirked, "Don't you like visiting the Potters?"

Jessa pressed her tiny lips into a thin line, "I don't like James."

Hermione cupped her hands around her pale skin, much like her fathers.

"You can help Ginny, then." Hermione smiled, "She just had Lily. She's such a sweet girl. Like you."

Jessa softly sighed and held her hands out, motioning her mother to slip her gloves on. Hermione chuckled. It was very like Jessa to be calm and collected. Ever since she was born, Hermione noticed a significant difference in Jessa that stood out from all the screaming toddlers and babies she was surrounded by. Jessa was such a quiet baby. She never cried and was very observant. Hermione began to introduce her to books at an early age, and although Jessa still had difficultly reading, she begged Hermione for a bed time story every night since Jessa has been able to sleep in her own room. Jessa was already collecting her own favorite books by her nightstand. She had a stack of books that she kept close to make sure that Hermione would read them that night.

Her favorite was Peter Pan.

Hermione insisted she was a normal but to everyone else she seemed extraordinary. Ginny was by far envious of Hermione, who was at ease raising Jessa. Ginny had two kicking and screaming boys and a girl who was bothered to have animals for brothers.

Still, even for a five year old, Hermione found her strange at times. It seems like she was the perfect mesh of Draco and herself in an amplified form. She was very quiet and very serious. It was rare to ever hear her laughing around strangers but every once in a while, Hermione heard her giggling inside her playroom with her dolls that she cared for with the most delicate touch. Although she seemed detached, she was warm child who was attached to Hermione by the hip and broke into frequent smiles while she was around.

Hermione was glad she hardly cried. Every time she did, it broke her heart. Unfortunately, the one person who irritated Jessa to tears was James, Harry's first born. Hermione laughed at the coincidence. Was it possible that a Potter and a Malfoy (by blood) would ever get along?

"Is cousin Teddy coming? Is he feeling better?" Jessa asked, her grey eyes growing bigger by the second, pleading Hermione for a simple yes.

Hermione cleared her throat, "I don't believe so. Grandma 'Meda says he needs to rest. If it wasn't for a little girl wanting to build a snowman without gloves, I'm sure Teddy wouldn't be sick at the moment."

Jessa frowned, "I gave him mine but they didn't fit his hands."

Hermione smiled, "Turn around, let mum plait your hair."

Jessamine spun on her heel, facing her long straight hair to Hermione, who quickly braided her daughter's hair. Hermione tied the end off and looked in the mirror. Jessa looked very much like her, as people would frequently point out, except more dainty and graceful than she ever was. If it wasn't for the blonde hair and grey eyes, no one would question Hermione who the father was. To those around her, it was obvious who the paternal half was. Even those who weren't well aware of the past events always gave Jessa curious stares. Besides having a 40 year old in a 5 year old's body, every once in a while, Jessa would say something and leave everyone in awe and it usually revolved around spells and magical history. Hermione would laugh it off and blame how kids love to repeat everything their parents said but, internally, Hermione noted that she may have to talk to Jessa about the secrecy of the Wizarding world and evesdropping when she was having an adult talk with George.

"Ready?" Hermione asked, quickly throwing on her own outerwear to venture out to the fireplace to floo into the Potter's fireplace.

Jessa nodded reaching out for Hermione's hand.

The duo walked over to the fireplace and in a green flash, they disappeared.

ooo

Ginny was flustered. Harry was frustrated. Two boys were chasing each other around and Hermione stood in the middle of the chaos while a screaming Lily was crying out for food. Jessa clung on to Hermione's legs, wrapping her arms around her knees tightly.

"You know," Ginny said in half a cry, "I can't wait for them to all go to Hogwarts."

Harry chuckled, letting out the pent up frustration, "I think Lily will be the last. No more kids."

Hermione patted her daughter's head, "Go on Jessamine. Go play."

She gripped her legs tighter, cautiously looking at James who was crawling underneath the table.

"Jessa." Hermione warned.

"You said I could help Ginny with Lily." She pointed out.

Lily let out a scream that nearly crumbled Ginny to the core. She let out a sob as she wiped her nose. Hermione finally took a look at her and noticed she looked ghastly.

"Ginny…" Hermione inched over to Ginny's side, "You look-"

"I know." She answered, "I've coming down with something. I've been trying to rest but I can't let Harry care for the load. He's busy…"

Harry grabbed a kicking and screaming James, "I don't mind. I've told you that."

Ginny rolled her sick eyes, "And my parents are off visiting Bill and Fleur."

Hermione looked around. James was now throwing a fit, Albus was standing in the corner looking helpless, and Lily was fussy. Hermione looked down at Jessa who was taking in all the recklessness of the Potter household.

"I'll take James and Albus off your hands." Hermione offered.

Harry and Ginny looked up as if Hermione was growing an extra head.

"I don't know…" Harry trailed off.

"Listen, Ginny needs to rest and I know you can't handle it all by yourself Harry. For goodness sake the last time you two enjoyed yourselves was the World Cup and that was two years ago!" Hermione pressed, "Andromeda is going to take Teddy to Diagon Alley for some medicine. I could ask her if she could get some for you too. Plus, you know 'Meda has more babysitting experience than all of us combined. They could play at the Manor afterwards. Jessamine was saying that she was lonely because Teddy has been sick, right Jess? Don't you wish you had someone to play with?"

Jessamine frowned, "Not if it's James, no."

Harry snorted and Ginny tried not to smile. Everyone knew of the tension between the two and found it completely endearing. Ever since Jessa was pushed into a puddle of mud one rainy day, James hasn't been able to redeem himself in her books. James has actually been quite nice to her as of late, but due to a troublesome beginning, it hasn't been able to grow past that, despite anyone's efforts.

"Jessa." Hermione warned, "Be nice."

"Two years, eh?" Harry smiled, "Has it really been that long?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Of course. Albus was a couple of months."

James stopped flailing in Harry's arms. He wiggled out of his embrace and hopped onto his own feet. He looked at Ginny with those big pleading green eyes and pouted.

"Can we go? Please, mum." He begged.

"I don't know what a couple of children would be doing in Diagon Alley. I wouldn't let Harry go by himself..." Ginny sighed.

"There's the joke shop." Hermione shrugged, "And Florean sells hot butterbeer and chocolate at this time. It'll be fine. Besides, children need some air don't they?"

Ginny eyes widen, "The joke shop?"

"It's fine." Harry interjected, "Let me go grab their coats."

"What do you mean it's fine?" Ginny snapped, "Who knows what things George will fill their head with! Remember that night you came home drunk because of George?"

Hermione tried not to smirk, "Gin, it will be fine. I'll be with them. I've taken Jessa there before and I can assure you that she hasn't been… _inspired_ by anything George has tried to sway her with."

Ginny sank in her chair, bringing tiny Lily closer to her chest, "That's because she isn't exactly a normal child, is she?"

Harry came back with two coats, "Alright, who wants to go to Diagon Alley?"

ooo

Andromeda chuckled at the motley crew Hermione brought home. Teddy sniffed, wiping his nose with the gloved hand.

"How did you get into this mess?" Andromeda smiled, picking up Albus who reached up for her.

"I don't know," Hermione laughed, "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Ginny was sick and Harry wasn't keeping the peace."

Andromeda picked up Albus and took a good look at him, "Why look at you, you're even bigger than I expected. How old his he now?"

Hermione took James hand and Jessa's hand, "He's about to be two."

"I'm six!" James piped.

Albus had spread a sloppy smile on his dear face, "I like you."

Andromeda chuckled, "Now that we got our feelings settled, how about a jolly ol' trip to Diagon Alley? Got the floo powder, dear?"

Hermione lifted the stone pot she kept by the fireplace. Andromeda, Teddy, and a very cozy Albus ducked into the fireplace and in a flash of green flames, were gone. James's eyes widen and he let out a cry. Jessa let out a frustrated sigh.

"It doesn't hurt." She said.

James frowned, "How would you know?"

"Children," Hermione said, ushering the pair inside the fireplace as she grabbed a fist full of floo powder, "In you go."

James fidgeted.

"James, on the count of three. I want you to close your eyes tightly and hold your breath, enough to puff your cheeks, understood?" Hermione instructed.

He nodded.

"Good. One… Two…" Hermione threw the floo at her feet, yelling out the destination. James didn't have time to react and in a split second they landed safely in Diagon Alley. It was a wet cold afternoon and hardly anyone was around to shop. Andromeda waved at them, holding up cups of Hot Chocolate to give the children.

"It's a lot colder than I expected," She shivered, "Here's a butterbeer dear."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I'm going to take Teddy. You can handle Albus, right dear?" Andromeda asked.

Hermione nodded, "We'll pay Uncle George a visit, won't we?"

Albus and James jumped up and down in excitement. Hermione looked down at Jessa who was silently enjoying her cup of hot chocolate and smiled.

"You'll like the joke shop." Hermione ruffled her hair a bit.

"George is my uncle too, isn't he? James says he isn't." Jessa asked.

Hermione gulped and pressed her lips together, "Only if you want him to be."

ooo

"C'mere." George held his arms wide open at his nephews who ran towards him. George picked them up, whirling them around as they squealed in excitement. Hermione shook her head, trying to suppress the laughter that was bubbling up inside her.

"It's a shame…" George sighed, "If I would have known you were coming around, I'd bring Freddie to work today. Angelina isn't doing so well."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

George cleared his throat, "Uhhh, just found out we are going to parents… again."

A gasp escaped Hermione's mouth and she immediately covered her mouth with both her hands. George opened his mouth,about to say something else but something caught his eye. His sight trailed downwards to Jessa who was hiding behind Hermione's legs. He took a look at her and his brows furrowed, giving Hermione a curious look.

"She looks more like you every time I see her…" George said, squatting down.

"_Except_…" Hermione trailed, pushing George to say it already.

"_Except_ that she still looks like the bloody git too." He whispered, "Jessa Libellue. How is my girl?"

Jessa looked down, "Fine."

"Good to hear." He grinned, "Can I have a hug?"

Jessamine stepped out from behind Hermione and placed her hands neatly behind her back, "My mother says that I can have you as an uncle because James says you're not my real uncle. Is that true?"

George looked up at Hermione, "Do you want me as an uncle?"

Jessa pursed her lips, "Did you know my father?"

Hermione's eyes widen. Never in her existence had Jessamine ever asked about her Father and his obvious absence. Hermione supposed that Teddy had something to do with it. Anytime Teddy had a fit or found himself completely lost, he would cry out for his mum and dad. It was hard for Andromeda to handle him and Hermione always tried to help. Not once did she thought maybe Jessamine would question about her father.

George smiled, "I did."

Jessa nodded, "Good."

She walked over to him and reached for his hand to hold. George looked at Hermione, not knowing whether to smile or cry. Jessa pulled him to initiate a walk.

"You can tell me all about him…"

Hermione chuckled and grabbed Albus who was running around. He squealed and let out a giggle and Hermione tickled him.

"Let's look at rubber chickens!" Hermione offered.

"Brooms!" Albus exclaimed.

"They don't have broomsticks here." Hermione kindly said.

"Brooms!" Albus said louder.

Hermione sighed, "George?"

"Yeah?" He yelled back out of sight.

"I'll be back! I'm taking Albus to see some broomsticks! I won't be long!" Hermione informed, "Are you okay with Jessa and James?"

"Yeah!"

Hermione smiled down at the chubby faced Albus, "Let's go see some broomsticks!"

Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around the child who clung on to her for warmth. She browsed around the streets of Diagon Alley until the display of Quality Quidditch Supplies was clearly seen. Albus smiled as Hermione tapped the window.

"Look Al." Hermione smiled, "Do you like quidditch?"

He nodded.

"How about we buy some Chudley Canon gear?" Hermione offered, "I hear they might be making it to the next world cup! How old will you be then? Six? Eight? "

The next few moments was spend on browsing the store. Albus was amazed at every single item that was on display. His tiny chubby hands rand across the end of the broomstick, admiring its craft. Hermione watched him carefully and noted that in his element, he wasn't much different than Jessa. Albus was completely immersed in the quidditch world, she even let her imagination run wild and pictured Albus in a quidditch match twenty years from now. She smiled.

"Excuse me," Hermione waved down the vendor, "Do you have any beginner brooms?"

The vendor looked at Albus and chuckled, "I suppose you're starting him off young."

Hermione smiled, "I can't help it."

The vendor assisted her with a second hand broom, slightly smaller than the rest. He assured her that it was perfect for the two year old… even if flying wasn't meant for babies. Albus squealed at the purchase and hugged Hermione tightly as they walked back to the Joke shop.

As Hermione approached the Joke Shop she noticed Jessamine and James huddled over a book. They seemed fond of each other and for a split second, Hermione was glad to see her daughter finally getting along with James.

"_A couple of hikers were tramping through the countryside and had lost their way, so by the time they arrived at the "Ed and Dragon", the village pub where they'd arranged to stay the night, the doors were locked and the owners had gone to bed. They knocked on the front door, hoping to get an answer…_" James read outloud, "This sounds stupid..."  
>"Go on!" Jessa urged.<p>

Hermione set Albus down, instructing him to run inside to show Uncle George his broomstick. Albus waddled towards the shop as fast as he could, clutching the handle of his broomstick with his round fist. James watched his little brother run past him. Curious as to what he had, he tossed the book carelessly over his shoulder and ran off inside.

Hermione watched Jessa slump over in disappointment because James had left but nearly teared up at the condition of the book which bounced off the wall and landed in a dirty puddle near her. Jessa bent over and picked the book up with her thumb and index finger in disgust. She stared at it for a moment before Hermione took out her wand and cleaned up the book for Jessamine. Hermione approached her squatting down to her level.

"What is a little girl like you doing outside in the cold? Wasn't Uncle George looking after you?" Hermione playfully scolded.

Jessa frowned, "It was James' idea. Thank you mum. I really liked this book. The jokes are funny. There is even one with a cauldron with a hole on the bottom and a forgetful wizard."

Jess let out a giggle. Hermione chuckled and reached out for Jessa, safely tucking all her blonde locks inside the floppy knitted hat, to keep her warm.

"Thank you." She said, reaching out for Hermione's hand. Jessa became suddenly interested in Hermione's fingers, examining Hermione with her own little hands. She placed their hands together to examine the size. Hermione studied her serious face as she did this and just as Hermione was going to usher her inside the Joke Shop, Jessamine broke into a wide smile.

"Everybody says I look a lot like you, mum." Jessa squinted and placed another small hand on her mother's cheek, "Do I look like my father too?"

Hermione took a deep breath. She should have known that one day her own daugther would wonder about her father. She just didn't expect it to be so soon.

"Listen here _Libellue_, if you were curious about your father-"

Suddenly, a body bumped into Hermione. Although she didn't get to see exactly what had happened, Hermione did see a figure sprawled out on the floor, her purchases flung into different directions. Hermione sprung onto her feet and rushed to the aid of the women.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione apologized, "Here let me get that for you!"

The women looked up and upon examining her face, Hermione froze. Daphne Greengrass rose to her feet, patting down her hair down. She looked quiet embarrassed, gathering her belongings.

"Sorry 'bout that. I didn't see you there." She said, coldly.

Hermione bit her lip, "No need to apologize."

Daphne nodded once and cleared her throat, "Nice to see you, Granger."

Daphne began to walk away when Jessa ran past Hermione, chasing after Daphne. Hermione panicked and called for her back.

Jessa tugged onto Daphne's cloak, "Pardon me. You forgot your cauldron. Madam, you dropped your cauldron."

Daphne finally stopped and looked down at Jessa. Daphne eyed Hermione down after studying the little girl next to her. She graciously took the cauldron and left, without saying another word. Jessa turned back around to a fuming Hermione, who took her hand and stormed back into the joke shop not saying a word.

"What's wrong mum?" Jessa asked, sensing the tension building up in Hermione. "Mum?"

"Nothing," Hermione said through her gritted teeth, "Jessa you can't just start talking to strangers that way."

"But-"

"Don't stray to far from me, Jessa. Understood?" Hermione said sternly, "You don't know they types of people that there are in the world."

Jessa frowned, "But you said Harry put a stop to all that. Why are there still bad people around if Harry stop it?"

Hermione closed her eyes. She definitely had to stop talking about things that didn't concern a child. Fortunately, James popped out of nowhere and snatched off Jessa's cap. Jessa looked around confused until she saw the backside of James running away at full speed to take cover in the Joke Shop. Jessa chased after him, whining. Hermione sighed.

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>Ah yes, did you really expect a Malfoy and a Potter to get along that easily? Of course not! I thought it would be nice to reflect on those early years of Harry and Draco not getting along... but then, of course, it's not like they are as bad as their parents were, right? I hope you enjoyed the chapter and it's mildly dramatic ending. Let me know what you think.**

**-n **


	29. Chapter 29

**I feel awful. I apologize for not updating for awhile! It has been a hectic past two weeks with exams and holidays and such. I'm expecting the following two weeks to be just was bad with Finals coming and the existance of my social life will become extinct. Oh well, the wonders of education. Anyways, part of the delay for this chapter will be explained below, so without further ado...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Twenty-Nine

ooo

Draco looked over his notes. He was supposed to give a speech later on that afternoon on why the reign of purebloods will ultimately fail and how to best preserve bloodlines. In reality, Draco thought he was a horrible example. He was still considered a pureblood supremacist and he had no idea how to preserve a bloodline other than pair up with other purebloods. To put it simply, he rather be helping his commrades prepare for the next World Cup than dwelling on stupid things like bloodlinage.

He ran a hand through his hair, grabbing a fist full of it in desperation. The French were particularly interested in England's strong belief in blood supremacy in the past and how it escalated to a war that threaten the very existence of the Wizarding World for everyone. If it wasn't for their great intrigue, Draco wouldn't be preparing for a bloody speech that personally had no idea how to answer.

Draco suddenly stood up and threw the accumulation of parchment into the trash bin, pacing back and forth. All his former beliefs were beginning to dwindle down to nothing.

"We're a product of inbreeds." Draco scoffed, "Supreme? What's purer than having constant miscarriages and squibs?"

Draco was nearing the end of his patience with bearing his own child that it was bleeding into his work. It was his own difficulties that made him realize everything he was proud for was just a waste of breath.

_"Are you sure?" Draco asked._

_Healer Pye looked away from Astoria who was being brought in for a check up. She was looking away, hiding the fact that she was crying. It was another fail._

_"Listen boy, it seems her family has a solid history of inbreeding than your family has. It's not the problem of if she can conceive; I'm sure she can but I doubt she could with you."_

_"What difference does it make?" _

_"The simple answer of genetics can not be fooled, Mr. Malfoy. It seems mix bloods have something right going on," The healer chuckled, "It's impossible to conceive a child who is already destined to have abnormalities from two parents. Think of it."_

_"Are you saying I'm abnormal? Do I look abnormal to you?" Draco sounded insulted._

_"Perhaps it's not expressed and perhaps Astoria is in the same case but I warn you, any type of pregnancy will result in an immediate rejection and if you're lucky, perhaps you'll end up with a squib." Pye explained._

_"Why would her body reject it? What if what we've conceived is normal? Is there a chance?" Draco asked._

_The healer cleared his throat, "The body knows better than we do, either the chance of survival is low or even a squib status would be too much to ask for it."_

_"So you're telling m wife that she's unfertile." Draco shook his head._

_"Not unfertile," Healer Pye smiled, "She's just incompatible with you. It's been happening very recently with couples like yourself."_

_Draco frowned, "So there's no possible way we can conceive? You're a healer! You have the knowledge and spells to help us out! If there's any way we can conceive a healthy normal child…"_

_The healer took a step back and directed his gaze to the floor. Draco suddenly, for the first time, had no hope for his future. It was all dwindling down to nothing and within a years time he would have to divorce his beautiful wife and find another partner soon, to not disappoint his gravely ill father. _

_"There is one way…" He spoke up._

_"What is it?" Draco quickly answered._

_"I don't think it's favorable for you beliefs." The healer continued._

_"I'll do anything. Do you hear me? Anything."_

_"You see muggles have formed a type of procedure to help those who are unable to conceive."_

_"We'll do it." Draco quickly responded._

_Pye, about to continue his explanation, stopped. He crossed his arms and hovered over Draco who slumped over his chair in the empty waiting room._

_"You do realize that the very people you hated all your life will now be responsible for the future of your family?" He said._

_Draco silently nodded, "I understand."_

_"I hope you realize that if their procedures fail, you have no right to hate them for your families past." The healer went on._

_"I understand. Just… please."_

Thankfully, the procedure had succeeded and Astoria was now home resting. Unfortunately, the pregnancy had not been an easy one. Astoria had been ill since the confirmation of their pregnancy, however, Draco was more worried about the condition of his child despite the constant assurance from the Doctors that his child was completely fine.

Draco cleared his throat, "Purebloods, to say the least, will see the last of their reign. The number of pureblood families has dwindled down and due to their insistent beliefs of superiority, has nearly extinguish their existence. About five hundred years ago, the number of families with a pureblood status in England was in the hundreds, now it's unfortunate to see that it has gone down to twenty main families, many of them seeing the end of their lines…"

Draco stopped reciting and let out a dry laugh. Twenty main families… including his own.

"…I've visited many prestigious study institutions where Healers have explained to me that the only preservation of century old families would be choosing a mate with a lower blood status, if one wishes their family to remain."  
>Draco was a terrible example of that.<p>

ooo

Astoria let out a heavy breath and moved her face to allow the house elf to pat away her sweat with a cloth. Just when she thought her condition was improving, Astoria had fallen into a raging fever. Hearing anything about her was bad enough but to hear that she has children, the nerve.

Daphne sat by her bedside, encouraging her to drink more tea.

"Please sis." Daphne urged.

"You saw her with a child?" Astoria heaved out.

Daphne sighed, "Yes. Poor thing looks like her."

Astoria bit her lip, "That is unfortunate. I didn't know Granger was with anybody."

"That's the thing sis." Daphne cleared her throat, "She isn't. I've been asking around and the only person she's been associated was Cormac McLaggen and nothing much came out of that."

Astoria struggled to sit up but despite her sister's efforts to tell her otherwise, she propped her self up.

"And how old does she look?" Astoria asked without answer from Daphne, "How old does she look!"

Her sister shrugged, "Older than three?"

Astoria closed her eyes.

"What about the World Cup?" Astoria asked, "Didn't you say that you saw her talking to Viktor Krum? Maybe it's his."

"Don't you think that if Viktor had an illegitimate child, it would be all over the news. Rita Skeeter would have a field day with it! By the way, I finally looked over the wedding agreement like you asked me to." Daphne said, "You're right. There was something in there you should have been worried about because if you weren't pregnant at the moment, there would be a termination of the marriage."

"What?" Astoria struggled to say.

"Well, at least you know why Draco was in a haste to conceive… doesn't that prove he's a good husband, Astoria? I don't think there's need to hold the vow against him. He's done his job." Daphne shrugged.

"No, it's only because he wants his father to get better. He thinks that with a child his father's condition could improve." Astoria shook her head, "It's not because he wants us to be a family. His priority is his father."

"Astoria!" Daphne yelled, "I love you as my sister but you're going too far with this. Why can't you see things like they are? Life isn't as complicated as you think! After the baby is born, I demand you to take our parents off the imperius curse… as well as Draco's parents. You don't know the damage you're causing! It's unnecessary!"

Astoria fanned herself, "Please, sis. Find out who the father is. It's the only way I'll be able to rest."

Daphne rose to her feet calmly, "I think you need to concentrate on yourself."

"Daph-"

"Sis!" She shot, "If the unbreakable vow wasn't enough, I draw the line at what you did to our parents. There are things that shouldn't be crossed! As for Granger, who cares about her. It's obvious enough that she's started her life and any suspicions you had before you got married well… they seem insignificant now, don't they.

"What do you mean?"

"Astoria! You've been so preoccupied with your entire state of marriage because you've started out on the wrong foot. If you would have been honest and let things go naturally-"

"What did you expect me to do?" Astoria shouted, she then collapsed into a fit of pain. She arched her back letting out a gasp and some tears flow down from her cheeks. Daphne immediately regretted causing her sister so much anguish. She repeated apologizes but none were heard until Astoria's breathing slowed down and was able to look her sister in her eyes.

"They're not under the spell anymore." Astoria admitted.

"You have?" Daphne repeated, "But…"

Astoria looked away, "Memory charm. They have no recollection about the real events according to my wedding. They are very happy knowing that their children are happy together."

Daphne took a step back and zoned out, trying to recollect her thoughts.

"When?" She asked her sister.

Astoria wiped the bangs off her forehead.

"Soon after the first failed pregnancy." Astoria gulped, "Draco began to noticed a difference in his parents. I realized then I didn't know his parents well enough to recreate how they were normally. They have no recollection of me placing the curse on them. What they remember is a haze of the past years, not really knowing what happened except for the general idea that we got married and that we live in France. I know I was difficult and stubborn but what will you do to ensure your future with the man I've grown to love?"

Daphne's chin quivered, indicating she was holding in her tears.

"Sister." She choked out, "You didn't need to go through all this just to make him stay. Can't you see it? There's a line you've cross. If he willingly moved out here for you then-"

"He didn't, did he?" Astoria piped up, "Not willingly."

Daphne grew silent.

"The Unbreakable Vow?" Astoria cried, "How stupid was I to make him go through that? Even if he turned to be unfaithful, I would rather take his place and die than live without him. I would never know if he willingly married me and followed me out here, Daphne. I'm not happy. I'm not happy knowing where I've ended up."

"Sis-"

"And even knowing how my life developed, I wouldn't go back and change a thing. Because I know in my heart that he would've left. I rather have lived a lie than being with out him." Astoria closed her eyes, "The baby is fussy."

Daphne crawled over and kneeled at her sister's bedside.

"Sis, I beg you to lift the vow." Daphne pleaded, "I promise there is happiness out there to gain. You just need to right your wrongs…"

"I can't." Astoria muttered, "Leave. I must rest."

Daphne rose to her feet, hovering above her sister before walking out. Furious that her sister was unable to see the amount of damage she has done.

Daphne lingered at the doorway, hesitating to leave, "Sooner or later sissy, things will reveal themselves on their own and I promise you won't like being placed in the spotlight. Might as well choose when to take the stage instead of being shoved out there."

Astoria rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes. I know. I know."

Daphne looked away, "You don't. And you know I'm tired of lecturing you but you knew what you were doing from the beginning sis. If you really love Draco, don't you think he deserves to know the truth?"

Astoria groaned, "_Fine_! I'll do it tomorrow. And it appalls me at the little faith you have in me. I know I haven't been honest but if you think that this could help my marriage, even if it seems potentially disastrous to me, I'll do it. Alright?"

Daphne nodded and sighed, "Sleep well."

Astoria snuggled up underneath the blankets and just as her sister closed her door she sighed out, mentally telling herself she would never tell Draco of anything she had done to secure her spot next to him. Things were finally looking up, why would she stupidly throw all that way? Her actions were paved with good intentions, shouldn't that be enough to annul all her wrong doings? Astoria sighed flicking her wand to turn the candles out. She was tired and Draco was working late that night. Astoria soon slipped into a deep sleep that could only be interrupted by an earthquake

ooo

The earth hadn't moved but Astoria jolted and sat up. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest and a thick layer of sweat covering her entire body. She wanted nothing more but to open a window to let the winter air chill her down. Draco would protest but she needed the air. She had suddenly become revolved with the smell of her own room that she needed to air out. Astoria carefully swung her legs to the side of the bed and hopped off.  
>There was a jab of searing pain that pulsed through her body. Astoria crumbled down to her knees, clutching her stomach, crying out for Draco. The pain nearly blinded her and let out a gasp.<p>

"Draco…" She cried, "_Draco!_"

Another wave of pain and something covered her inner thighs, Astoria tried to convince herself it was just the sweat but as she looked down, something dark and viscous was seeping through her nigh gown.

She shrieked and with one last debilitating pain, Astoria passed out.

ooo

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco was about to step on the podium to deliver his speech to the French Ministry of Magic. He had made sure that not a single person entered his room while he paced around nervously only because it added on to his anxiety and Draco hated people seeing him that vulnerable. Last time he didn't have full control over his feelings was with a certain classmate and that, to Draco, felt like ages ago.

Draco sneered at the tiny man who dared to interrupt him.

"Didn't I say I wished to be left alone?" Draco repeated, "I need to focus."

The tiny man looked to his feet, "I hardly think it will be necessary now considering the implications…"

Draco gave him a looked, "What are you talking about?"

The man sighed and looked passionately away as if he was as deeply affected as Draco should be.

"Mr. Malfoy…" He began dramatically, "I regret to inform you that the tragedy in your family is very hard to comprehend…"

"What?"

"Your father just passed away and your wife..."

Draco didn't hear much after that. Everything seemed to slow down and as much as he tried to run out of the room, it felt like he was running through water. People who were in his path were shoved away and the moment he found a place for himself, which just so happened to be the men's loo, he disaparated back into England and in front of a Manor he hadn't visited in a long long time.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, so I have around six chapter done since the last update and I thought I was doing fine and it took one review to delete everything and start from scratch. I won't mention what it said who who it's from BUT they were totally right in their review and I will try my best to get back on track. Sorry if my updates won't be frequent. It's all for the best, I hope!<strong>

-n


	30. Chapter 30

**Exams finished and a new chapter? Say it ain't so!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Thirty

ooo

_"Be on the look out." Ginny said, "I've heard he's returned."_

Hermione watched Jessamine and James play outside in the snow. They didn't do much other than waddle around and occasionally trip over their clumsy feet. She half expected them to be throwing snow at each other or James chasing around Jessamine, but they walked slowly around the large perimeter of the back yard like explorers, holding hands. Teddy was inside looking through some of Hermione's old books and sipping on hot chocolate, wrapped around a warm blanket. Hermione knew she shouldn't be risking the exposure of her daughter's existence but who could resist a snowy day? She had to keep composure anyhow. She couldn't keep living as if she was a fugitive but then again, what was the chance Draco would pay her a visit when she heard he's been busy preparing the funeral of his father.

"Am I really going to learn all this?" He asked.

Hermione shook her head and concentrated on Teddy, who was sitting on the floor with a book opened on his lap, "Excited to start next year?"

Teddy beamed up and turned his hair to a mousse brown, "I can't wait. Grandma wants me to wait until summer to get my wand but I really want one for Christmas…"

The boy pouted.

"Christmas?" Hermione repeated, "That reminds me James is turning six soon isn't he? You're all growing up so fast. Why can't you all stay small?"

Teddy snorted, "Then I wouldn't be able to learn magic!"

Hermione sighed, "Still, there's going to be a year when Hogwarts is filled with Weasley's and Potter's and cousins and…"

Hermione trailed off as a thought entered her mind. She wasn't part of the family, not formally and certainly not by blood. It saddened her a bit and she realized why George was pushing her to have Jessamine marrying inside the family. Hermione hadn't thought of it because her girl was much too small to think of things of that sort at the moment. Hermione understood it wasn't only to give the Malfoy's a heart attack but for her own sake, to be apart of the family she should have been apart of in the first place. Glancing at Jessamine and James, she had a feeling she didn't need to worry much about her future.

"And what? Auntie 'Mione?" Teddy piped, "And _what_?"

Hermione cleared her throat, "And the lot of you… that I'm sure will cause a horrible mess. I can imagine it now. Poor Professor McGonagall, I hope she has enough in her to keep all of you in check."

Teddy smiled and looked down at his book. Hermione continued observing Jessamine and James. Her mind finally drifted off the subject she had been avoiding since she found out about it exactly three days ago.  
><em><br>Ginny had flooed herself over. Hermione had just put Jessa to sleep and retreating into her own room when she heard a thunderous pounding of feet climbing u the staircase. For a split second Hermione was about to scold Teddy for being out of bed but after seeing a flash of brilliant red hair bouncing up and down around Ginny's face. Hermione paused right at her door frame, giving Ginny a look.  
>Ginny, who was out of breath, reached out for her unable to speak but stumbled over to grab ahold of Hermione's shoulder.<em>

"Gin-"

"Is Jessa still up?" She gasped out.

Hermione felt a surge of suspiciousness and dragged Ginny into her room, closing the door behind her.

"What is it?" Hermione demanded at once, "Is it Draco?"

"Yes." Ginny closed her eyes tightly, resting herself at the foot of Hermione's bed, "But it's not what you think!"

Ginny held a hand up at Hermione, who was starting to reach for her wardrobe. No doubt she was preparing to leave under any circumstances.

"He has no idea about Jessa." Ginny sighed, "Be on the lookout, I've heard he's returned."

Hermione paused for a second and then pursued on with taking out a stack of clothes from her wardrobe to pack.

"Listen," Ginny insisted, "His father, Lucius, just passed away. He's here to see him…"

Hermione didn't know if the news had shocked her or if her only reaction was to let the clothes slipped through her fingers. They piled around her feet but Hermione ignored the mess. She pivoted on her heel to look at Ginny.

"Harry heard of it at work." Ginny rose to her feet and approached Hermione, kneeling down to pick up the clothes she dropped, "He also hear Draco's been having a hard time with work in France. There isn't a lot of offerings so he takes what he can get... I think money's the last thing he's worried about. I suppose his wife isn't very pleasant to be around with as of recent."  
>Hermione cleared her throat, "Pleasant? What do you mean?"<p>

"Pregnancy and all…" Ginny mumbled out, "Don't think her body is taking it too well with the changes."

Hermione suddenly was unable to respond, as if the words were stuck at the back of her mouth, restless to be spoken. She had absolutely no idea his wife was pregnant. But of course, what else was expected for a newly married couple? The jealous rage Hermione was thrown in was running hot through her veins and she was certain her face had become red in fury.

"Hermione?" Ginny piped up.

"Hm?" She responded.

Ginny stood up, handing her a pile of neatly folded shirts.

"Here."

Hermione sighed and looked back at Andromeda who was knitting by the front windows, keeping a watch. She gave her a reassuring smiled and continued knitting a bit floppy green hat for Jessa. Teddy gave up on his book and went off on a search for another book off in the library. He came back with three new books to which he slammed on the floor and randomly open to begin reading. Hermione looked back at her daughter. Upon first glance, it didn't seem as different as they were before.

Hermione even questioned how she hadn't become bored watching them do nothing else but be children but after a few seconds on seeing James curled up into a ball and Jessamine running towards the Manor, Hermione's instincts rushed in. She sprinted outside with no jacket and only a pair of socks on her feet to keep her warm. She could hear James wailing and as she ran pass Jessamine who shouted at her mom She hear two things coming from her daughter's mouth.  
><em><br>He's hurt!_

Hermione collapse beside James whose face was twisted in pain. He clutched his arm as big fat hot tears raced down his face. He mumbled out incoherent things that made no sense to Hermione as she carefully scooped him up in her arms and slowly walked back to the Manor. Jessamine walked at her side, looking up at her mother, questioning if he was going to be all right. Hermione, frozen toes and all, looked down at Jessamine.

"What happened?" Hermione asked sternly.

"He was showing me how to do cartwheels." Jessamine cartwheels, "I didn't know he didn't know either. He said he did."

"I do too!" James wailed.

At that moment, Hermione slipped back into the Manor relieved that the warmed sank into her like warm butter melting on a hot piece of toast. She placed James on the couch in order to pick off her wet socks, revealing raw red skin on her feet. She ignored her own matter for a second, tossing the socks aside, and reached out for James.

"Where does it hurt, James?" Hermione asked.

James kept to himself, hiding his arm.

"His wrist, mum." Jessamine piped, "And he said his shoulder hurt too!"

James glared at her for the ultimate betrayal. Hermione urged James to show her his wrist. James obliged and as Hermione

pushed up the sleeve of his jacket carefully she realized it was like Jessa said, there was a swelling around his wrist and up his thumb. Hermione took out her wand and immediately Teddy was by her side, curious as what kind of magic his auntie will do.

"I'm going to numb you, is that all right?" Hermione asked James, "I need to in order to take off your coat."  
>James nodded.<p>

Hermione muttered something and quickly began to unbutton his coat. James's eyes widen at the strange sensation of not being able to feel a thing. She pulled his coat off carefully and grabbed a pair of scissors to cut off the remaining of his sweaters and shirts. Before she threw them aside, she repaired them with a spell. Once again, Jessamine was right. James small shoulder was gruesomely dislocated. Hermione winced.

"Jessa, go get me some pillows." Hermione ordered, "Teddy will you ask Andromeda to make some tea."

James cleared his throat, "Hot chocolate."

Hermione smirked, "Hot chocolate."

Jessamine ran off, taking off her hat and coat flinging them on the floor as she went. Teddy lingered on.

"Can I watch?" Teddy asked.

Hermione chewed on her lip, wondering if it would be wise to let a ten year old watch her pop a dislocated shoulder back in. She had only done it once… on herself many years ago and it's not the most pleasant memory she had. But still, she didn't have the numbing spell on her to cancel out the pain. Hermione nodded, indicating that Teddy could stay. Hermione tenderly picked up James's hand and slowly taught Teddy how to fix a sprain. One tap to heal bruising, two taps for swelling, and another tap for mending ligaments. Teddy was fascinated. Hermione sighed and moved on placed one hand on James' small shoulder and another on his upper arm. With one swift motion and a sickly pop of the shoulder, James' shoulder was back in place and although he couldn't feel anything the event was quiet traumatizing, causing him to cry once more.

"I've got the pillows!" Jessamine yelled.

A stack of moving pillows headed their way covering Hermione's tiny daughter who gripped on to the pillows with her small arms wrapped around them. It was almost comical. Hermione thanked her and began to settle James comfortably on the couch. With one last tap of the want Hermione made sure that none James' shoulder was left unattended and lifted the numbing spell off him.

"I feel sore." James announced.

"Yes, well you've gone through a lot today, haven't you." Hermione winked, "Teddy, the hot chocolate please?"

The rest of the day Hermione spent with Teddy, helping learn spells without the use of a wand to ensure his first year goes smoothly. She didn't worry much about James, not when Jessamine had spent most of her time kneeled beside him, talking quietly to him. The sight of the two children finally being civil towards each other relieved Hermione, plus, she couldn't wait to tell Ginny and Harry once they come over to pick up James.

"Do you hurt?" Jessamine asked, "Do you need more chocolate?"

James reached to touch his shoulder, "It might be chopped off if I don't have another piece."

Jessamine quickly unwrapped a new bar breaking off a generous piece for James who eagerly accepted it.

"Why did you do it?" Jessamine said after she watched James eat his chocolate. She lightly fumbled around with the hem of the blanket that James was underneath, "Why did you say you knew how to do a cartwheel?"

"I do know." James shot back, "If it wasn't for your stupid yard and the stupid snow, I wouldn't have slipped."

Jessamine pressed her lips into a thin line.

"It's not stupid." She softly defended.

"Wha?" James leaned in.

"I said it's not stupid." She said loudly.

"It is stupid!" James glared, "If it wasn't I wouldn't be hurt, now would I?"

Jessamine frowned, "I like snow, don't you?"

"Not anymore." James crossed his arms, "It's stupid and childish."

"We _are _children." Jessamine defended.

"Then you're stupid." James sneered, "Give me more chocolate."

"No."

"Gimme."

"NO!"

"Jessa!" Hermione warned.

Jessa inhaled and looked away, still holding on to the chocolate bar.

"I bet you're faking it. Bet it doesn't hurt anymore." Jessa stood up; throwing the bar at him, "Keep it. I hope you get sick from eating so much."

"Good, you're leaving." James sighed, "You were annoying me. Probably annoyed your father away too."

"James you're such a TWAT!" Jessamine yelled.

James, infuriated that he was yelled at not really knowing what a twat was, flung his legs over sitting up and shoved Jessamine to the floor.

"Jessa!"

Hermione rushed over and scooped up Jessa who burst into tears. Her arms flailed and shouts came from her, yelling at James for being stupid. It wasn't surprising that the peace between them would last any longer than a short breath. In fact, Hermione knew deep inside their peace was too good to be true. What Hermione was more astonished of was that her quiet girl had just used a forbidden word. Once Hermione climbed the set of stairs up to Jessa's room she placed her on her bed and crossed her arms slowly.

"Jessa." Hermione said, "Listen to me."

Jessa tried to quiet her bawling but even her desperate attempts of wiping away the tears with the back of her hand wasn't helping.

"You will not use that word ever again, understand?" Hermione scolded, "After you're done crying we are going back downstairs and you're apologizing to James."

Jessamine sniffed, "But mum… please don't make me. Mum, _Please_."

"_Jessamine_!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I don't want to see him." She cried, "He's terrible mum. He's not nice."

"Jes-"

"Don't make me do it. I won't mum." Jessa jumped off her small bed and clung on to Hermione's legs, burying her face on her thighs, "I _will_be nice and I won't listen to his taunting any more mum, just don't make me. He said… he said I annoyed daddy away."

Hermione gulped. She reached out for her chin to tilt it up. Hermione stared into her big watery grey eyes and before she knew it, Jessamine was curled up in her arms silently crying and trying to control her breathing. Hermione closed her eyes, resting her head on top of hers, humming a nameless song to calm her down.

"'Mione?"

Hermione turned to find Andromeda peeking in.

"There's someone out in the front garden." She announced.

"I'll be right down." Hermione waved off.

"You don't understand… there's _someone_in the front garden." Andromeda gave her a warning look that Hermione couldn't ignore.

"Who?"

Andromeda tilted her head, indicating the worse.

"What is he doing?" Hermione asked.

"He's just standing out there, staring at the manor." Andromeda tried to speak calmly but the quavering in her voice was still present.

"There's a visitor?" Jessa asked, sniffing between words.

"Can you get rid of him?" Hermione pleaded.

Andromeda nodded and rushed out. Hermione took a deep breath in and tiptoed out of Jessamine's room. Jessa had snuggled up to her and collapsed in a light nap, drained from crying and throwing a fit. Thankfully there was a rather large grandfather clock to hide behind of. Hermione took advantage of the hiding spot and carefully peaked to watch Andromeda open the front doors. Jessamine stirred, letting out a soft. Hermione lightly bounced her, rocking her back to her nap. Hermione peeked down once more and her eyes landed on a very tall slender figure who suddenly lifted his gaze up towards her. Hermione ducked her head behind the grandfather clock. Her heart raced.

* * *

><p><strong>I had fun writing out a snippet of Jessa's and James' relationship. It was almost refreshing and I wrote yet another cliff hanger! Oh my! Ha, well I hope you enjoyed it. I probably won't be able to update until next week since this is the first time that I don't have the next chapter finished. I'm so ashamed! But in the mean time, if you are itching to read something else I have a new story that I'm writting (DON'T HATE ME). It's based on the next generation if you're interested. I know I've been neglecting this story but the other one is just easy to write out! *waits for the insults* Anywho, I just wanted some more feed back on the other story it's called <span>Mismatched<span>. Please check it out!**

-n


	31. Chapter 31

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! I thought I'd suprise you with a much needed update. I won't lie it took me a while to write this down because, to put it plainly, I hated everything and many early versions SUCKED. But I'm glad how this turned out and I'm sure you guys were dying for some Draco/Hermione interaction. NO need to thank me.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Thirty-one

ooo

Astoria found it impossible to cry. Even when she felt a wave of emotion, she knew exactly what shaken her. It wasn't because she lost a child. No. She was more preoccupied with the thought of losing Draco than the real lost of her child. Still, even though her mind was on other things did not mean Astoria was entirely void from experiencing the loss of her baby. Daphne would walk with her through out the mansion to keep her from barricading herself in her room, but even a nice walk wouldn't do much.

Daphne would try hard to get her to talk but Astoria had no real interest in making an effort, especially today.

Draco came home today.

Right after the ceremony for his father. He knew something was wrong right away. Astoria had no desire in speaking to him. Daphne had summed up the courage to pull him outside and speak about the miscarriage with him. Draco reacted exactly as Astoria hoped he would. He violently barged into their room and kneeled at her side. Astoria closed her eyes and feigned being asleep. It would have been too much to look at him, to see him torn into pieces. But she did savor the moment, perhaps the last moment Draco would be by her side.

And just as soon as Draco came in, he walked out, without saying a single word. He rushed out, bumping into Daphne's shoulder who was peering inside, and left.

Astoria crawled out of bed and dragged herself to the window, just in time to see Draco storm out of the mansion and, in a blink of an eye, disappeared. Astoria inhaled slowly and let out a soft sigh.

"He's going to leave me." Astoria said, "He's furious."

"Sis," Daphne shook her head, "He's dealing with two losses now..."

"He's regretting marrying me." Astoria sniffed, "I know it."

"Astoria-"

"Don't deny it Daph. Even _I'm_ regretting it." Astoria whimpered.

She choked out a cry and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes before they fell down her hollow cheeks. She regained her composure quickly but didn't bother to face her sister, who was cautiously approaching her.

"It was stupid trying so hard." Astoria gulped, "What was the point? What did it matter to invest all the effort to keep him at my side when our marriage was going to crumble anyways? It's ending."

"Love." Daphne answered, "You love him and he-"

"Don't you dare say he loves me." Astoria snapped, "If he did... wouldn't he be here?"

"He's handling more than we could imagine, Astoria." Daphne argued, "Your husband going through a tough time dealing with the death of his father and the only person that could console him would be you, his wife and that's impossible when now... there's more to grieve."

Astoria didn't say a word more. She held back her resentment and heartbreak. She knew it was a matter of time before her perfect world would be taken from her and everything she loved would leave her. She closed her eyes once more and sighed, hating that she felt that she deserved everything that was being handed to her.

ooo

She nervously wrapped her teacup with two hands trying to steady the anxiety that was shaking within her. Draco, on the other hand, looked calm, cool, and collected giving the circumstance he was currently in. They had hardly spoken a word out loud since he had walked in. The silence between them was so awkward even the leaky faucet ceased to drip in order to leave them be. While Hermione did her best to avoid his presence, Draco certainly wasn't ashamed to study her.  
>It had been a long time since he's seen her after all.<p>

Hermione didn't know the reason for his unexpected visit. She didn't want to ask. She had the impression it had to do with his father's passing and yet, she wanted to hear that he stopped by just to see her but even that was far fetched. That thought had given her the slightest false hope that it nearly annoyed her to death just thinking about it.

"I'm sorry about your loss." Hermione breathed out, anxious to hurry the conversation to the end so he could leave. All she wanted at the moment is to continue living her life Draco-less.

Draco nodded once and fumbled with the teacup handle. The news of his father's death had greatly upset him and the last thing he wanted to do was choke up in front of Hermione. His throat tightened forcing the lump of tears that had formed. He collected his thoughts and controlled the almost uncontrollable part of himself at the moment. He figured he could look her in the eye and ask but even that was pushing it. Instead, Draco looked away and sniffed, steadying his emotions.

"How do you deal with loss?" Draco asked.

Hermione suddenly glanced at him quickly regretting having done so. His eyes were round and soft, much like Jessa's who was currently under a forced deep nap, along with Teddy and James. She didn't want to risk the intrusion of a child to unveil her little precious secret.

"I don't know," She responded, "I'm the wrong person to ask, don't you think?"

Draco looked away, embarrassed. He supposed his grief made him made him forget about Hermione's own dilemma when Ron past away. It wasn't something he wished to bring up, only because thinking of the past meant thinking about Hermione.

"Isn't this something you should be discussing with someone closer, Malfoy?" Hermione cleared up, "I don't suppose you have anything to relate or say to me other than-"

She paused. Hermione cleared her throat and sipped on her tea.

Draco sighed, "Surnames? Was it wrong to want to visit old friends?"

"Is that what I am?" Hermione questioned sarcastically.

Draco leaned forward about to throw an insult at her but refrained, leaning back and staring at the rather large Christmas tree in the ballroom that could be seen from the kitchen. Hermione rose to her feet, clearing her dishes and taking up Draco's as well, despite having almost a full cup of tea left. She dumped the dishes into the sink and sighed.

"I wanted to stay you know." Draco piped up, "That night."

Suddenly, Hermione preferred to be talking about death than to bring up _that night_.

"Your father," Hermione quickly said, "How did he… pass?"

She turned to look at him who was surprised at her question. He scratched his cheek nervously.

"He gave up, I suppose." Draco sighed, "He's been sick for a while now. Ever since his release from Azkaban, he hadn't been then same. I suppose when you're in an environment, isolated, infested with nothing but bad thoughts and too much time to reflect you get sick."

Hermione froze.

"I don't know much about my father's past but knowing how I was brought up, it couldn't been a good one. I'm sure it was fear and regret that infiltrated him like a disease…"

A sigh escaped her almost felt for him. He looked lost like a boy who was unable to find his father in a busy market. But before Hermione allowed herself to be tender towards him Draco let out a dry chuckle and rubbed his hand on his face, as if he was trying to wake himself up.

"He only wanted to meet his grandchildren. That's all he asked of me." Draco chuckled, "And I couldn't grant him that one wish."

"A child…" Hermione whispered.

She quickly composed herself, ridding her mind of Jessa.

"Well I heard that you were expecting." Hermione smiled, "Congratulations. It a beautiful thing to have a family... I've heard."

Draco ducked his head, almost embarrassed. As hard as she tried to look at him, Hermione couldn't. She felt uneasy watching him. It was almost unbelievable to know that he was back, sitting at her table, like old times. Now, to be mention about children with her... Hermione couldn't help but to be anxious. She kept herself busy with her thoughts until a sniff, distracted her. She quickly glanced at him and regretted it soon after.

Draco's usual pale face was blotchy and red as tears streamed down from his cheeks. For some strange reason, and Hermione solely blames her motherly instincts, she was at his side immediately. He gazed up at her and for a brief second, Hermione saw the same look Jessa had when she cried. Although it seemed stupid, Hermione was in awe to see that look on him despite the blood shared. Perhaps it was because Hermione had never seen Draco in a weakened state, much less a state where he latched on to her and gripped her tightly.

Hermione nearly stumbled back, trying to balance his weight as he wrapped his arms around her. It was painful for her to swallow the knot in her throat that had formed. There was nothing more Hermione wished for than to have his man out of her house, since it was of the greatest inconvenience to have him around. Despite her concerns, she couldn't help but to wrap her arms around him as well, hesitating for a fraction of a second.

It wasn't in her heart to completely shove him away. How could she? He had helped her get back on her feet.

Hermione was then flooded with images of long nights crying while Draco idly watched her through the night to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. Even Draco sitting by her while she bathed was innocent enough to make her realize that it was her turn. She assured herself that it was possible to help him. Even if it was a small gesture.

Her arms squeezed him a little tighter and she guided him to sit back down. He did so without a fuss. Hermione rubbed his back for comfort and closed her eyes.

"Be strong Draco." Hermione softly said, "It's not easy but you'll see, things will improve and soon enough you'll be looking at that baby's face and think, 'he looks exactly like his grandfather'. Isn't that a nice thought?"

Draco's crying steadied and his breaths were deeper. A small weak smile on his face formed and chuckled the last of his tears out.

"It's always nice to hear you say my name." He sighed out, "It reminds me when things where flipped around."

Hermione inwardly groaned.

"I was taking care of you around this time, years ago." Draco sniffed, "Now the tables have turned haven't they?"

Hermione nodded, "They have."

Draco cleared his throat and reached out for Hermione's shoulder.

"Thank you." He earnestly said, "You have no idea how much it pleases me to know that I can still come to you."

"Well-"

"I suppose I can understand what you were going through back then... It feels like I'm going insane." He paused and shook his head, "I was apparating in and out of places for the past hour. I think I was mindlessly wandering through London for a bit before I showed up at your doorstep. I was going to disapperate back to the pub I was at but I felt like I needed to talk to you."

He painfully chuckled and rubbed his eyes.

"I could have sworn I saw you carrying a child. A blonde one." Draco shook his head.

Hermione nearly panicked. If it wasn't for Andromeda who swooped in, Hermione wouldn't have known how to respond to Draco's comment, even if he wasn't suspicious of her.

"Thank you Hermione for putting Teddy to sleep." She smiled, "I thought he would be difficult since they were riled up from the snow today."

"Teddy?" Draco questioned.

"James and Teddy were out in the snow this afternoon." Andromeda explained, "I don't know the details but James dislocated his shoulder. I think you know how young boys are Mr. Malfoy. It was easy putting James asleep, Teddy on the other hand..."

"He's blonde?" Draco cocked his head, genuinely interested, "I thought Professor Lupin-"

"He inherited my daughters abilities." Andromeda smiled, "He can change his hair and eye color at will."

Hermione stood there quietly. She felt faint. Had Draco not been in a mental instability state, he would have questioned her further. Hermione was thankful for the circumstances he was in, even if it meant the painful loss he's enduring. Whatever the reason to further the belief Hermione was still a lonesome witch was fine with her.

Draco's stay didn't last long after that. Before Hermione knew it she was sharing one last hug at her doorstep. Draco peeled away from her, letting out a breath that fogged up in the air in small puffs. Her looked up, examining above him as if the sky was the most interesting sight he's ever seen. Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"I'm _really _am sorry to hear about you like this." Hermione looked at her feet, "I don't know if I could say anything to make everything better but... with an ending there's always new beginnings to look forward to."

Draco looked down at her, as if he just realized she was speaking. Usually Hermione would have been agitated at the fact that he disregarded her carefully pieced out words of comfort but she didn't have time to. Draco swooped down and kissed her cheek gently.

Shocked, Hermione took a step back as a hand flew to her cheek, not in surprise but to guard it from any more breaches.

Draco shook his head and pointed up, "There's mistletoe above us. I'd usually pass at the chance but I just wanted to thank you. I feel a lot better."

Hermione shook her head feeling slightly dizzy, "It's nothing."

"I know this is forward but is it alright if I could stop by every once in a while to just _talk_?" Draco asked, "I would mean a lot to me."

Hermione softly smiled and nodded, "I don't mind."

"Great." Draco smiled. He took a few steps down the steps but he quickly ran back and kissed Hermione's other unprotected cheek before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Hermione suddenly snapped out of the slight daze she was in and nearly kicked herself. How could she agree to something like _that_? She groaned and stormed inside, slamming the door behind her. Andromeda's head poke out from the kitchen.

"Did he kiss you?" She asked.

Hermione crossed her arms and sulked for a moment before answering.

"He did."

A light chuckle was heard, "I was wondering if he would dare to."

"He's married." Hermione reminded her.

"Yes well," Andromeda sighed, "Life has a funny way of twisting things back to how they should be, doesn't it?"

Before Hermione got to ask her what she meant by that, Andromeda waltzed out of the kitchen, bid her a goodnight, and floated off to bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Now I think you know what's next in the following chapters... my jobs is to make the prediactable and still make it, somehow, unpredicatble so my readers won't chuck tomatoes or burnt gingerbread men at me in an angry mob fashion. I have the smell of burnt cookies on me right now and it isn't plesant... and you know what else isn't plesant? Bored readers so I will try my best to cook something up that will even surprise Baby Jesus himself! <strong>  
>-n<p> 


	32. Chapter 32

**Ahem, I'm almost embarrassed to be updating this so late. I hope you can take this chapter as an apology for temporarily abandoning this story. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season. Shall we get back to the story? Yes?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Thirty-two

ooo

"It is regrettable that the Wizard' court hearby voids the marriage between Draco Malfoy and Astoria Malfoy, now Greengrass. Under the marriage agreement, article three an heir was not produced within the required years," The Wizengamot spoke clearly to the other surround wizards, "Under the circumstances of being unable to conceive, it is necessary to collect your medical records from St. Mungo's and a family linage report as well before the end of January in order to avoid an additional tax. The Ministry finds it important to record this, you see. Surprisingly, you are not the first to be reporting infertile within a couple, although you are the first to divorce under the implications of the marriage agreement that your parents came to terms with."

Astoria nodded firmly, assuring her understanding of their divorce.

"Upon termination of this marriage, everything that was rightful yours entering the marriage is still yours, however, possessions such as your house-"

"It belongs to her-"

"I don't want any of it."

A silence swept over the already quiet courtroom. Draco could feel the stares of every witch and wizard present for their hearing. The Wizengamot paused for a moment and leaned back in his chair.

"To make it clear," Draco began, "The property has been in her family for generations."

"It was a gift." Astoria pointed out, "A wedding gift, both our names are under the deed."

"Ah, yes. A further court hearing will be scheduled to sort out rightful properties. Anyways, if you could come up here and present your wands for inspection before we adjourn this meeting..."

Draco and Astoria left their stands and handed over their wands. Draco looked over at Astoria who kept a straight face. The Wizengamot took their wands and briefly dismissed them out of the courtroom until they were called back. Before Draco got to say a word to his wife she quickly exited the room, having Draco to chase after her. It was clear she was upset. There was no denying the tension. But despite their lawful divorce, Draco was still very much attached to his soon to be ex-wife.

He found her sitting on a small bench at the very entrance of the courtroom. She had this stony appearance that she's had for the past few days. Draco knew it was hard on her. It was hard on him too. After experience a tremendous loss over the past three weeks, the last thing Draco wanted to do is go through this divorce, which only meant another loss.

He sat next to her not saying a word but only giving his company to show that he'll stick by her until she said otherwise.

Astoria gulped, forcing down a stifled cry that failed to stay silent. She sniffed and let out a watery sigh.

"You know," Draco began, "I don't plan on leaving you."

She gave him a long hard look and softly scoffed to herself.

"That sort of defeats the purpose of a divorce." She sourly replied.

Draco closed his eyes, "Astoria..."

"Really, Draco. There's no need in making this more painful. I didn't fulfill what was expected of me during our marriage. Both our parents agreed on it, we even agreed on it. Why do you keep insisting? It's over."

"Because despite what a piece of paper says," Draco glared at her softly, "You're still my wife. A piece of paper will not determine what we share, Astoria."  
>She closed her eyes tightly, as if it were painful to hear Draco speak.<p>

"Please." She whimpered.

"Our marriage by court will end today, possibly, but the day we loose trust and stop loving each other is when our true marriage will end, do you understand?" Draco placed his arm gently around her, "We'll be together."

"What about children?" Astoria cried, letting a tear fall down her cheek which was quickly wiped away by Draco's thumb.

"Now, we have all the time in the world," Draco sighed, "Now we can see if stress was a part of the trouble of conceiving."

Astoria nodded, "You don't plan on leaving?"

"Only if you don't want me at your side, no." Draco confessed, "I've built my whole life around you, it's hard to leave without giving it one last try."

Astoria nodded. She mulled things over for a bit, enjoying the privacy they had at the moment. She absolutely hated the invasion that she had in the courtroom. She couldn't help to feel embarrassed in front of all those people having to witness the demise of their marriage due to the simple act of the inability to conceive.

"Okay," She agreed, "I'll stay."

Draco smiled, "It will be like old times."

At that very moment the Wizengamot himself walked out of the courtroom, looking very solemn. He looked at Astoria before glancing at Draco.

"It seems we have more of a problem than just a termination of a marriage," He announced, "Both of you, inside. Now."

ooo

Hermione passed by the small grave yard many times, in fact she as so used to it during her outings for the past years it almost became invisible to her. Today was an exception.

She walked slower this time, concentrating on the size of her steps, making sure they weren't too fast or too slow. The last thing she wanted was to look suspicious. She was wondering if this was the gravesite where Draco's father was buried. The curiosity had taken over ever since Draco had stopped by weeks ago, although she never had the courage to stop by and look around. She thought about it for days, even mentioning it to Andromeda casually once. As expected, Hermione found herself seated as Andromeda preached over a hundred reasons why that would be a terrible idea to act on. Saying that Hermione disagreed with Andromeda would be a lie. In fact, Hermione understood very well why it would be a terrible idea but curiosity got the best of her one morning and she set off before anybody woke up.

As Hermione slowed her pace even further she casually glanced over, peering into the graveyard. Even if she was looking for any sign or clue for a burial, it still surprised Hermione to see a small lump of overturned earth in the middle of the graveyard. It was slightly flattened out but it was the only brown in the entire graveyard other than the frost that clung on to the dead leafs and grass. Hermione gulped and looked around her to make sure she was completely alone. Once that was confirmed, she reached into her bag and took out a silky silvery material. It was Harry's invisibility cloak. Hermione found herself extremely lucky to have this cloak in her hands. If it weren't for James, who mischievously nicked the cloak out of his dad's memory chest, Hermione wouldn't have confiscated it from him during a long hour of chasing down an invisible child with a turkey leg floating in the air. She would return it to Harry once she got her use of it.

Hermione threw the cloak on and once she was fully covered she ventured into the graveyard. She didn't waste time looking around she merely glance around as she made her way directly toward the grave. It was the only one with a fresh mound of dirt piled on it. The moment the gravestone was within reading sight she stopped and gulped. Even from a distance she could make out the elegant script:

**Here lies Lucius Malfoy  
>A loved man, soon, husband, and father who<br>regrettably wished his life could have been different  
>24th June 1954 - 20th December 2008<br>**

She didn't advance. She stayed put five meters away. Hermione felt very unwelcomed and before she knew it, she was scurrying out of the graveyard as fast as she could.

ooo

Draco stood up in a protective stance in front of Astoria. The Wizengamot looked at them as if they were a type of danger to him. Astoria rose to her feet, hiding behind Draco and using him as a shield.

"Can you give us a moment?" Draco asked, "Let her collect herself."

"I'm fine." Astoria sniffed, "I'll go in."

Draco sighed, "Can I get something to drink for her before we go in?"

The Wizengamot looked almost torn to let Draco leave his sight but he gave up and nodded.

"The court finds that your presence is dire for the hearing to proceed." He spoke, bow his head, "Hurry back."

Draco blinked, signaling his acknowledgement and briskly walked to fetch Astoria a bottle of England's Best Magical Water, charmed to relieve stress and sooth any worries away. As Draco walked back to the courtroom, proudly holding Astoria's water, he over heard a conversation along his path. Usually, in every nook and corner, there's a witch or wizard talking about the lastest law or the last quidditch game. Draco normally paid no attention to the chatter but something caught his attention this time around.

The very familiar voice of a Professor.

_McGonagall._

Draco was only going to pass her by due to his haste to get back into the courtroom but her voice went shrill.

"What do you mean there are children that have not been registered for school yet? It's mandatory for Hogwarts." She shook her head, "Let me see the list."

An aged man, who Draco assumed worked at Hogwarts now, merely shrugged, "Well, there are other schools they can register their children to. You know that."

McGonagall glared up at the man, "But... are you sure? She has a child?"

"According to muggle birth certificates, yes." Replied the man.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco looked up at the mentioning of his name, as well as McGonagall and the man. He felt slightly embarrassed now to be discovered but he left without saying a word to his former professor and walked back to the courtroom. The overheard conversation was now vanishing from his train of thought, becoming completely meaningless. The second Draco stepped into the courtroom he had a dreadful feeling. It was strange to him. In fact, he was so consumed over it, he had forgotten to hand the water to Astoria and took a gulp for himself.

As the court gathered, Astoria and Draco settled down at their stools, waiting for the marriage court hearing to proceed. The Wizengamot cleared his throat and signaled an officer to escort Draco to join the jury.

Something was off.

Draco glanced around and noticed something quiet unsettling. Usually, court for a divorce didn't require a full jury. The entire court was full of known witches and wizards. Before the recession they took there were only a couple of people to witness their divorce, having a full court now was confusing... it was like it was a trial...

"Ms. Malfoy," The Wizengamot began, "Due to your husbands involvement of the Second War, you knew about the required wand checks, is that correct?"

Draco's heart sank. It _was_ a trial. He was on trial for something and Astoria was call out as a witness.

Astoria looked around confused, "Yes."

"You knew because of his direct involvement he was required to a wand investigation. Because of this, we have monitored his movements very closely." He explained, "Has your husband ever taken your wand for his use?"

At that moment, fear jolted through every cell in his body. He was being framed.

"Never." Astoria shook her head, "I've never lost or misplaced my wand since the last War, I suppose the fear hasn't left me. It's always on me. There's no reason why Draco would ask for my wand if he always had his."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Positive."

"Willing to swear your very life on it?"

"Yes!" Astoria insisted, "What is this about?"

The Wizengamot cleared his throat again, etching a thin serious line on his lips, "This is about your wand Ms. Malfoy and the fact that it has been traced to four Unforgivable Curses placed on your parents, Darlene and Heath Greengrass as well as Narcissa and the Late Lucius Malfoy on the 31st of October 2002. Now, due to your previous statements, how positive are you that you've been in possession of your wand?"

Astoria fell silent. Draco could tell her face was blank. Aside from worrying about his wife, what exactly were they accusing her of? She hung her head, refusing to speak. The jury around Draco exploded into whispers.

"Are you accountable for the use of the Imperius Curse on four different people as well as the memory charm to erase all evidence of the curse?" The Wizengamot pressed on, "Ms. Malfoy? Are you responsible for this?"

Draco stood up. He had enough. How could they accuse his wife of doing horrendous things? There had to be an explanation. Just as Draco open his mouth to protest against the Wizengamot, a small but very audible _yes_ slipped out of her mouth. Draco froze. The jury became very animated.

The Wizengamot slammed his hammer for order and called out the best Wizards to retrieve the remaining parents of the couple for an emergency trial of Astoria Malfoy. Draco sat back down in shock. He had no words or emotions running through him. It felt unreal to be suddenly thrown into a trial when all he came for was to terminate his marriage with her.

* * *

><p><strong>Now, I hope you didn't think she was going to get away with an Unforgivable Curse now. That would be an injustice and a disgrace to all the teachings JKR had taught us. Heh. I wonder how many of you are smiling now. <strong>

-n


	33. Chapter 33

**So I'm glad you loved the last chapter, I've quickly wrote this up before I start classes tomorrow. Eep! So scary! So I managed to write a longer chapter. I really hope I can write longer ones, sinc eyou guys enjoy them more. : ) By the way, some of you are down right EVIL! Enjoying that Astoria got what was coming to her? I'm appauled! But then again, I didn't make her the most like-able person out there. Oh well. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon's Blood<strong>

Chapter Thirty-three

ooo

That same day Hermione visited the graveyard that evening, she received a very surprising visit from Professor McGonagall. Shocked from the sudden visit, Hermione wasted no time in welcoming her in and making her a cup of tea. As she ushered her in, out of the corner of Hermione's eye she saw Andromeda in the living room, wondering who was visiting. She remained as astonished as Hermione was to see McGonagall walking past, observing the remodeled manor.  
>"It's astonishing to see what you've done to the place." She piped up, "Harry mentioned you the last time he paid a visit at Hogwarts."<p>

"Did he?" Hermione questioned, "Sugar?"

McGonagall sat herself down at the kitchen table and shook her head, "No, thank you dear. You must be surprised to see me here."

Hermione paused, pouring the scaling hot water into a teacup, "I am to be honest but it's always nice to see you."

"I sometimes miss seeing your face on lectures, I've been looking for somebody to fill in for the Transfiguration position. I plan on taking up a full position of headmistress." She mused, as Hermione set her cup on a delicate looking saucer.

"Are you offering me a teaching position, Professor?" Hermione cocked her head, sitting herself down.

McGonagall smiled, "I hadn't thought of it but that would actually be fantastic. It certainly puts some ease of mind to know that someone like you would take over. There hasn't been many applicants for the job, even less people who are qualified for it."

"Oh," Hermione bit her lip, "Well I'm not doing much of anything these days but..."

At that exact moment, Hermione saw a small blonde-headed figure cross the kitchen with a large book tucked in her arms. Hermione's eyes widen but before she could do anything, McGonagall spoke.

"Actually I'm here to confirm a small rumor going around about you." She spoke up.

Hermione hardly paid attention to what McGonagall had said as she saw Jessa brighten up at the might of her.

"There are muggle documents stating a birth of a child?" She said as more of a statement. Before Hemione could reply, Jessa had reached the table, slipping her book onto the table top. Jessa's big eyes widen, pleading her mother for a story. Hermione watched as McGonagall's eyes settled on Jessa. At first, she was confused with her brilliant blonde hair that was now reaching past her tiny hips, but as Jessa acknowledged that there was another person in the room was when

McGonagall's jaw dropped.

She stared at Jessa for a moment before looking up at Hermione, and quickly glancing between the both of them.

"You're nearly identical." She gasped.

Hermione let out a nervous sigh, "Well, there's no denying she's mine."

"She can't be Ron's..." McGonagall said to herself more than to Hermione.

Hermione watched Jessa as she turned to look at McGonagall. Her tiny face broke into a shy smile as she softly said hello to her.

"Jessa, be a good girl and ask Teddy to read for you." Hermione suggested, "I'll read you Moby Dick again if you want."

She nodded and walked away.

Hermione ran her hand through her hair, "That's Jessamine."

"Your daughter?" McGonagall repeated, "So it's true."

Hermione cocked her head, "I'm sorry but you said there were rumors about me... how many people are talking?"

"Not much dear, you only have the school's records witch very confused." McGonagall cleared up, "You had a couple of us confused. There was muggle records of a birth but none in the Wizarding world. How often do you come across a _Hermione Granger_ in the U.K.? Why haven't you declared her existence? We need her information to place the trace on her. How do you expect to send her to Hogwarts when you've hidden this so well?"

Hermione gulped, "I don't know."

"Dear what's there to hide?" She smiled, "I'm sure any child of yours will be well prepared before she sets a foot on Hogwarts' grounds."

"There's plenty to hide." Hermione mumbled.

"So is the father around?" McGonagall questioned, "I know I don't know much but if you fear that this child doesn't have any magic running through her precious veins there's a charm for that to prove lineage."

Hermione closed her eyes, "I'm not concerned about that."

"Dear, then why else haven't you acknowledged her existence in our world?" She pressed on, "Muggle borns can still have magic run through their children if they join another muggle."

"Except that she isn't a muggle born." Hermione shot out.

"I don't follow."

Hermione closed her eyes tightly, "Jessa is a family secret for good reason. Over five years ago, I made a big mistake and I'm not sure if I'm ready to let it be known."

"Dear," McGonagall said slowly, "I can promise to delay the registration of Jessamine to when you're ready, but can I know the reason? What could possibly drive you and everyone around you to protect her?"

Hermione clasped her hands together and looked away for a moment, gathering the courage to let one more soul know the truth. She could trust a former professor, right? Hermione set her sights back on McGonagall who was taking a sip of her tea.

"Jessamine's father is..." Hermione paused, "is Draco Malfoy."

The shards of bits of the teacup were scattered all over the kitchen floor.

ooo

Four hours.

Four grueling hours of hearing Draco's mother's testimony, as well as Astoria's parents. There were very skillful Auror's that managed to break the memory charm that was place upon them. Almost every word spoken seemed unreal to Draco, but each also harden his soul.

_"Mr. Greengrass, did you know your own daughters reasons for placing you under the Imperius curse?"_

_"Absolutely not, but I'm under the impression she was in a haste to get married."_

_ "What about you Mrs. Greengrass?" _

_"There wasn't much she made us do while we were under the curse, the only thing that felt forced was the signing of the marriage agreement."_

Draco rested his elbows on his own thighs after hearing the same evidence against Astoria. He was exhausted because it was mentally hard to hear that their marriage was based under the influence of a curse rather than the purity of their parent's heart. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose, finally recalling a certain detail that he had forgotten. He wasn't sure if his memory was real or just a dream.

The unbreakable vow...

Draco knew it wasn't against the law to perform it but still, Draco couldn't help but to think there was an ulterior motive that Astoria had that made her go through all this. Before Draco could dwell on it further, his mother had taken the stand. She was given a small drop of veritiserum, before sitting down.

"Are you Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy, wife of the Late Lucius Malfoy?" The Wizengamot asked.

"I am." She coldly replied.

"Under what circumstances do you believe Ms. Astoria had reached to place an unforgivable curse on you?" He asked.

Draco's mother avoided looking at Astoria, disregarding her as trash.

"I believe she was only thinking of herself and her security of the marriage, rather than truly meaning to marry my son for the right reasons." She calmly stated.

"What would be the right reason?"

"Marrying when it's timely. There really is no need to rush for a marriage, especially when coming to an agreement, which almost certainly means there will be a marriage." Narcissa shrugged, "Whether her reason to put us all under the curse was solely for the marriage, she still had me under the imperius curse well into the year. Why it was stretched for so long, I have no idea. Still, I had to commit things that I woud not do under normal conditions."

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy." The Wizengamot dismissed Narcissa before turning to a guard, "Can we have Astoria Greengrass to the stand?"

Astoria was shoved to the middle of the circular room as forced to sit down. She looked beaten and broken. She turned to the guard who placed a couple of drops of veritiserum in her mouth, to ensure a truthful answer. She didn't dare look around for Draco. Draco had a feeling that she was ashamed for the further embarrassment they had to go through. She was blaming herself and this time, Draco couldn't help but to think it_ was_ her fault.

"Are you indeed, Ms. Astoria Greengrass, formally known as Astoria Malfoy since the demise of your marriage since this morning?" The Wizengamot asked.

Astoria cleared her throat, "That is me."

"After hearing our witnesses, you know with that information alone is enough to send you to Azkaban for the use of the Unforgivable Curses on your own parents and on your in-law's, understood?" The Wizengamot explained, "It seems like nothing extremely malicious was done during the period while the were under the curse. What is your explanation for this?"

Astoria gulped, "I only wanted to get married as soon as possible."

"And why is that?"

Astoria forcefully shook her head, refusing to answer.

"Ms. Greengrass, what is the reason for your hurried walk down the aisle?" The Wizengamot pressed on.

Draco could see trails of wet and dry tears on her cheeks as her face twisted around to force the tears back to their place. He could see her determination to stay strong but it was useless against the potion.

"I was afraid he would leave me." She gasped out.

"So you took the precautionary measure to ensure that he would stay at your side." The Wizengamot slowly pieced together, "Is that all you did?"

"No."

"What else did you do?"

"It doesn't matter, it's not against the law." Astoria blurted, closing her eyes hoping that it was enough to move on.

"_What _did you do, Ms. Greengrass?" He repeated sternly.

Astoria let out a sigh, signaling that she gave up, her shoulders dropped and her head tilted to the side in exhaustion.

"I performed the unbreakable vow on my husband." She admitted.

The Wizengamot wasn't so sure if it was crime but it seemed like Astoria thought so, so he pressed on.

"Was Draco Malfoy aware of this?" He asked almost stupidly.

Astoria bit her lip and shook her head.

"So he agreed to it, unwillfully?"

She gulped, "He was still asleep."

The jury broke into snickers and a hush of whispers. The trial for Unforgivable curses was quickly turning into a pit of gossip. Draco sat there slowly having the information sink in. It was true then. An unbreakable vow... Draco swallowed a dry gulp of air and held his head.

"What were the reasons for believing he would leave you?" The Wizengamot regrettably said, knowing the implications that could occur: a down right scandal. It was turning into a down right scandal. How was it possible to have a shining socialite like the Malfoy's be linked to something as shocking as this?

"I have no concrete evidence but I could feel he was falling for somebody else. He was detached..." Astoria squeezed her eyes shut.

Draco couldn't listen to the rest. His ear were muffled up by his own mind racing... He loosened his tie up and as he rose to his feet. It was inappropriate to leave in the middle of a trial but Draco couldn't stand being there for one more second. He footsteps echoed throughout the courtroom as he exited. He felt the entire jury watch him leave. It felt like every single eye was a stab on his skin, piercing and judging. Draco had a feeling his entire life will be exposed in a matter of time and the thought frightened him.

Nevermind his growing fondness of Hermione at that time. How could Astoria think that an unbreakable vow would solve anything? Would she rather see him dead than to see him with another women? Draco placed his hands on his hips, as he paced back and forth out in the corridor. His fist balled up.

"_Draco?_"

He looked up to see Daphne cautiously approaching him. He held out his hand, warning her to stop but she continued to carefully near him.

"Draco, please understand." She begged.

"You were there," Draco shouted, "How could you perform a vow like that on me?"

Daphne's exterior crumbled, "I'm sorry Draco, I really am but you really need to know her true intentions."

"She's a rat!" Draco yelled, "A filthy rat! What else can I think of her when I'm bound to an unbreakable vow, one that I hardly remember participating in? And you, out of everbody, knowing what was going on never gave me any clues to the danger I was in."

Daphne's face twisted to prevent her tears from flowing.

"So it's true?" She gasped, "You would have left my sister?"

Draco, in the middle of his fit, felt his energy drain from him. He was left completely speechless. If he was honest with himself, he wouldn't know if he would truly leave her. He's known that living in France certainly stopped any temptation to see Hermione but it also made him appreciate the women he chose to marry. Draco gulped a knot down his throat and looked down.

"We'll never know now, will we?" Draco said through clenched teeth.

Daphne sunk to her knees, "Draco you have to save her, please. You know how harsh the laws are now on Unforgivable curses. If she doesn't have a rational person on her side, she'll lose for sure. You know sentences are now for life right? Draco, you know as well as I do you won't stand seeing her suffer this much. She's already lost you and the baby, she'll lose her mind next."

Draco blinked.

"Have the court dismissed, I have to gather some people." He dryly said.

Daphne looked up at him with hope.

"You'll help her then." She smiled.

"I didn't say that either." He muttered before walking off.

ooo

"Draco Malfoy?" McGonagall repeated, "Please tell me your..."

She was unable to finish her sentence. It was impossible to deny the paternity of that child when the obvious clue was sometimes staring straight in the lookers face. Hermione felt her face redden in embarrassment. She knew the idea of two sworn enemies having an offspring was ridiculous, especially so soon after the greatest debate of the Wizarding world had ended. Hermione touched her warm cheeks and cleared her throat.

"It's a very long story," She began to explain, "But rest assure it wasn't because there was something between us..."

Hermione paused, flustered to finally speak of events that lead to her current life to someone who wasn't a part of the family. In fact, even the Weasley's didn't know the exact story with the exception of Ginny and George.

"I found a jar of Dragon's blood here in this house while I was fixing it up." Hermione paused closing her eyes, "I was trying to prove a new use for it and along the way things occurred and my experiment went very bad. The only way to escape from it was to-"

"That's enough dear," McGonagall said, noticing the trouble Hermione was having to admit her past to her, "Although, I'm intrigued by this experiment you tested on."

Hermione, about to reply to her former professor, was suddenly distracted by a loud bang in the living room. Hermione rose to her feet wondering who had just used the Floo network to visit her. A shout was heard, the voicing belonging to Harry himself.

"_'Mione! Hide her! He's coming! We have no time!"_

In an instant, Hermione was racing up the staircase following Andromeda who was quicker to grab Jessa and carry her up to her room. It was almost instinct to hide Jessa now. The second The two women had reached the safety of Jessa's bedroom, Hermione heard the last expected bang. Her shoulders sagged in relief. She had made it in time to maintain her daughter a secret from the person that mattered the most.

Jessa, bewildered by everything, was startled. Her chin quivered trying to make sense of everything. Hermione ordered Teddy, who appeared by her side, to fetch a calming tea for Jessa and stressed to not say a word to his godfather or his friend. Teddy saluted her and ran off.

Hermione tucked her daughter into her bed and smoothed her hair down. She wiped away the tears that were trailing down her face.

"Listen to me Jessa, mummy has to talk to someone downstairs, if you're a good girl and stay up here as quiet as possible, I _promise _to take you and Teddy to the zoo. Remember? You and Teddy wanted to go. Won't that be fun? We'll go but only if you're good. Promise me, Jessa. Yes?"

Jessa nodded her head. Andromeda ushered Hermione out as she collected herself to face the very unexpected visit. As Hermione descended from the stairs, she saw Professor McGonagall curiously looking into the living room. Her eyes widened at the realization at how protected the secret was and how close they came to be discovered.

Hermione gave a knowingly look at McGonagall before entering the living room, where Harry was anxiously sitting down while, Draco was staring into the fireplace before pointing his wand at it an igniting a roaring fire.

"I need your help," He said, glancing over his shoulder. It was those pleading eyes Hermione couldn't help but fall victim to.

* * *

><p><strong>Bet you didn't expect that. Bwhahahahah! It's only a matter of time before everything is known. And I'm sure none of you can guess how the trail will turn out. Heh. *sneaks off into the darkness*<strong>

-n


	34. Chapter 34

**Alright, alright. I'd go through a long apology and explanation on how I had a severe writer's block and school getting in the way. I can also say that I had been extremely neglegent but instead of saying all that, You could just read this chapter as a token of my sincerest apologies. Yes?**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon'<span>****s**** Blood**

Chapter Thirty-Four

ooo

"I can't do that for you." Hermione shook her head, "I'm really sorry Malfoy, I really am but I can't do what you ask."

After Draco had spilled almost everything that had just occurred Hermione had sat herself down on her handsome couches with Harry, who was unreasonably still, while Draco paced around slowly. Hermione was under the impression he was analyzing the house. She wasn't even sure if she was listening to her at the moment.

"Reason?" He drawled.

Hermione chewed on her lip and looked towards McGonagall and Andromeda, who lingered at the entrance, for help. McGonagall made no motion to sweep in and save the day like the many times she had during class hours and Andromeda was guarding the stairs, just in case a tiny little girl decided to pay a visit.

Hermione furrowed her brows as she directed her gaze dow to her hands, which were fidgeting around nervously. Besides the fact that Draco had the nerve to come to her house after so long, she had plenty of reasons not to help out. Why would she? First, she wasn't too fond of Astoria and second, she knew by meddling in their business she would open up a can of worms. That's the last thing she wanted to do. Unfortunately there was no way she was about to explain the truth to Draco, so perhaps being cruel would be enough.

"I don't understand how I would be the one able to save your wife from imprisonment." She shrugged, "What does it matter to me anyways?"

Draco's jaw firmed up.

Hermione cleared her throat. Perhaps she should have worded that differently. He looked so determined to get her out of that situation that it was hard to misread: he loves her. Hermione almost kicked herself in the face. Of course he loves her he married her, didn't he?

Draco cleared his throat and turned to her.

"You're right, it shouldn't matter." Draco agreed.

Hermione a bit under the impression that she would end up doing whatever he wished, looked at Harry for comfort.

"I mean even if I did agree, hypothetically speaking, what could I say do help? It's not like I was a personal friend of Astoria."

"You would have to admit everything." He nodded, simply as if admittance in itself was a simple notion.

Hermione's eyes widen. Her breaths became uneven and almost hysterical as she stood up and began advancing towards Draco. Before Hermione even reached him, McGonagall rushed over to stop her. She must have sensed that she was about to devour him at that moment, and she was very right. Hermione was livid. She had no intentions in actually helping out and to find out that admitting they were "together" was the only way to help Astoria? Assuming if that's what Draco was hinting towards, Hermione couldn't think of anything else. Once she stopped struggling against her former professor and forced herself to calm down, Hermione inhaled once, twice, three times before she opened her eyes and glared at Draco.

"Are you an idiot?" She spat, "How in Merlin's sake do you think that's going to fix anything? Do you want to parade around your endeavors with every woman you've had in your life? The only thing that will happen is-"

"He's right." McGonagall breathed out.

"Professor." Hermione pleaded.

Harry, who was taking everything in, finally broke out of his statue. He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. Hermione looked at him and rush over to him.

"Harry, you were there. You know how stupid his idea is. There are plenty of other things he can do to save his wife, right?" Hermione melted to her knees.

"Ex-wife." Draco corrected.

Harry closed his eyes and mumbled against his cupped hands, "He has a point."

Hermione bit her lip. If Harry and McGonagall agree that Draco wasn't insane for throwing out that idea, was it really up to her to save Astoria from going to Azkaban? Hermione shoved her face into Harry's knee's begging him not to make her do it.

"The thing is." Harry cleared his throat, "If Hermione was to admit there was something going on, which would back up Astoria's suspicions that led her to perform the Unforgivable curse, her sentence would be much less."

Hermione blinked. Was that a valid reason to admit the one thing she wished never happened in the middle of a courtroom? Let Astoria free in exchange for her humiliation and demise? There was no way she would be respected after the whole Wizarding world knew.

"If you don't," Draco sighed, "Then I will."

Hermione snapped up and looked at him. Her eyes were ready to spill over with tears. The _nerve _of him! How could he only be thinking about saving his wife when the cost would be her destruction? Hermione rolled her eyes up and blinked the first tears out. Had he no idea what that would mean for her? For the both of them?

"But it would be more convincing if Hermione would do it." Draco added with another nod, "Listen 'Mione."

There was a slight silent from McGonagall and Harry who were surprised by Draco using a term of endearment toward Hermione.

"I know what it means to you, okay? I know because if you face the embarrassment for being involved with a scandal, I will face it too." Draco said, although his words provided no comfort towards Hermione.

"If the entire community finds out that I cheated on my soon-to-be wife with you... well, we won't be alone in the humiliation." Draco shrugged, "At least Astoria would know the truth in exchange for a room in Azkaban and if that's the last thing I could do for Astoria, I'm going to do it."

Hermione understood his motives and she would willing do this last thing for him if it wasn't for the slight chance that there would be a mentioning of a child. _Her_ child. She trusted herself to conceal the information, she just didn't trust herself under the influence of veritumserum. As ever, Hermione calculated her way into letting herself do this one _last _favor for Draco. After all, she couldn't say no. She hated having a heart of gold but she knew it was right. If it wasn't for her involvement, Astoria wouldn't be in this position and she wouldn't be in danger of being sent to Azkaban. She _was_ indirectly involved with her sentence. If coming clean would allow Hermione to finally admit to Astoria that she was right in her suspicions and deflect her way out of prison...

"Is this legal?" Hermione sniffed, "Will it work?"

"It's a worth a shot," McGonagall pipped.

"I'll do it." Hermione finally said, feeling a great load being placed on her shoulders. It would be difficult to stand in the courtroom and recall the events she wanted to forget, but it's just as difficult to keep on with life acting as if nothing ever happened. Hermione nodded and rose to her feet. Harry reached for her hand and squeezed it as she looked at Draco who was just as stunned as everybody.

"I'll do it," She repeated, "Under two conditions."

Draco closed his eyes, thankful, and sighed.

"Anything." He begged.

Hermione pursed her lips and took a deep breath. That's exactly what she wanted to hear.

ooo

"All rise!" The Wizengamot yelled over the chatter, "Please allow our subjects in question in so that we may start the last hearing of Ms. Astoria's Greengrass Trial."

Hermione heard the rumble of 500+ witches and wizards rise to their feet as the doors flung open to allow Draco, Harry, and herself in. Hermione struggled to advance on but her feet were amazing at following through orders. The moment she appeared in the middle of the courtroom she could feel the stares on her and Harry. She blinked but didn't dare to look around her. I'm sure there was confusion as to why Hermione was there. What reason did she have to be involved in Astoria's Trial and what evidence could she have that will save her?

Hermione's throat tightened and she looked at Harry. She must of looked so helpless that he reached out again for her hand and squeezed it. It was about the only thing Hermione could think of that would keep her from running out of the room, except for the fact that her conditions were the only reason for her to remain put.

The judge looked at them and raised an eyebrow. Hermione knew what he was thinking by the smirk on his face.

Draco had gone nuts, absolutely crazy, to call upon his once sworn enemies to help him out. He settled himself in his chair and clasped his hands neatly on top of his desk. He let out a wide smile and shrugged, causing a slight muffled laughter from the court.

Hermione closed her eyes.

"Sir, I'd like to be questioned." Draco took a step forward.

"What there to say?" He asked.

"To defend Astoria? There's plenty to say." Draco spoke. He handed his wand in to the wizard security and began loosening up his tie. Hermione and Harry took a seat shoved away from the spotlight. The eyes on them reduced, except for a pair that Hermione could feel. Hermione look straight across to find Astoria looking right at her. She felt ashamed so she looked away and gulped.

"Harry, you promised. Everything will be alright." She whispered.

Harry nodded, "It's the only thing I can guarantee."

"Alright who will question him?" The judge drawled, unenthused that someone was standing up for Astoria.

Harry stood up, fixing his jacket, "I will."

"And what qualifies you?"

"I was present yesterday at the hearing." Harry stated, "There came a few questions that was left unanswered and I believe that it should weigh in with the final ruling of Ms. Greengrass."

Draco took in a deep breath as a security handed him the vial of Veritaserum. Hermione shuddered.

Harry paced back and forth in front of Draco, warming himself up for the question he prepared to ask.

"Mr. Malfoy." Harry began, "You seemed just as shocked as the rest of us to discover your Ex-wife had used the Imperious curse on both your parents and in-law as well."

"That is correct."

"So you had no clue?"

"None."

Harry nodded, "After hearing her reason's, does it justify her actions?"

"No." Draco spat out, "And yes..."

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to Draco, "Yes?"

Draco gulped. Everyone could see he was struggling from keeping the truth down. He cracked his neck to loosen up and tensed his shoulders before relaxing. Hermione's never seen him so bothered and it only intensified her fear of taking the Veritaserum.

"Her assumption wasn't so loosely based." He hissed out, as if it were painful.

Instead of the usual murmurs, a hush of silent fell over the court. Every single eye was on Draco and every pair of lips was sealed shut. Hermione gulped. Harry glanced at her for a second and cocked his head at Draco. Draco inhaled loudly and cleared his throat.

"What are you indicating?" Harry asked.

Draco groaned and shook his head.

"What are you indicating?" Harry repeated.

"Mr. Potter." The Wizengamot suddenly interjected, "Do you mind if I ask the questions? I think I know where you're heading."

Harry, nodding, bowed and took his place next to Hermione. He smiled at her reassuringly although it failed to calm her nerves. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut.

"Harry." She breathed out.

"Think about what you'll gain." He whispered back.

Hermione didn't get to tell Harry any more since the Wizengamot began his interrogation.

"Are you implying that Astoria had reason?" He demanded. It was almost unheard of to hear of an Unforgivable Curse be used for a worthy reason.

Draco bit his lip, "Yes."

"There was someone else." The Wizengamot said it as more of a statement than a question.

Hermione glanced over to Astoria who was looking back. There was no malice in her look or disgust. Hermione supposed it was more of a thankful look and that confused her. Did she know this was her only chance out of a cell in Azkaban?

"Yes." Draco gulped, "And to back up Astoria's fear, I feel that I would have left her at the alter to go back to Hermione."

Hermione groaned. Her name finally popped into the Trial and that was enough to cause a wave of madness around the courtroom. There were plenty of people that wanted to catch a glimpse of her. Harry lightly stroked her arm.

"If it wasn't for the Unbreakable vow, that is." Draco added.

The Wizengamot had enough of Draco. He waved him off and before Hermione knew it she was being dragged up to the center podium. The security handed her a little vial that she took in her hands. It was hard to swallow down when her throat was suddenly dry. She cleared her throat and tilted her head back to drink the Veritasurem. There was the sensation of no inhibition in her, as if the self-filter she always cherished was completely gone. Even a couple of shots of fire whiskey never lowered her reserve-ness that much.

"Are you Ms. Hermione Granger?"

"Yes."

The Wizengamot blinked and leaned over his desk to peer down at her.

"And is it true you carried a relationship with Draco Malfoy while the duration of the marriage of Draco and Astoria?"

"No."

"_No?_"

Unlike Draco, Hermione did not have a hard time on allowing herself to admit to anything. She did nothing wrong. The only reason she let it escalate to the point it got to was because she was obsessed over her own desire.

Hermione cleared her throat, "Anything that went on was strictly before they were married."

"I see."

"Can I say something? Before anyone has their final thoughts about me or Astoria?" Hermione asked. She didn't realize how rash she sounded but she needed a bold move to make everything alright.

"Go on."

"The only reason why any of this occurred was because I didn't allow myself to healthily grieve over someone who meant the world to me." Hermione began, "And I began to look for ways to reconnect, to dwell into realms that weren't made for the living. I underestimated an experiment for a foolish obsession that would allow me to see Ron again, one last time. I was alone and it drove me to insanity. So I can understand Astoria... When something threatens to take away the only reason you're living, you'd do anything to keep them around. That's what I did."

"Exactly what did you do that involved Mr. Malfoy?"

"I performed an age old experiment to visit the other side." Hermione hung her head to the side, "I suppose Draco knew what I was up to and desperately did anything in his power to help me because that's what Harry asked of him. Harry saw what became of me after Ron's death so he asked Draco to look after me. It was not my intention to lead him away from his wife but because of my stupidity, I've cause a failure of a marriage and the possible imprisonment of an innocent women."

The Wizengamot chuckled lightly as Hermione, "You believe Astoria is innocent?"

"By law? No." Hermione answered, "But by all means, she did nothing wrong. She did what instinct tells us to do and that is to protect. I wanted to protect memories, Astoria wanted the protect her marriage, and Draco... wanted to protect me."

Hermione's chin quivered.

Harry was suddenly at her side to escort her down after the Wizengamot called for a break. Hermione and Harry rushed out, with Draco following behind.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine." Hermione smiled, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"You did amazing."

Hermione spun to find Draco approaching them. Hermione politely smiled and looked away.

"I'll be leaving now." She announced.

"What if they need to question you further?" Draco asked.

"I don't think that would be necessary." Harry step forward and block Draco from getting closer to Hermione.

"You know what the conditions were." Harry reminded, "Only one questioning and-"

"And I don't want to see you again." Hermione finished quietly, "It should end here. I've done my part and you should do yours now."  
>Draco became flustered, "<em>'Mione<em>."

"That was the agreement Malfoy," Harry sternly replied, "She appeared in court at your request, to save your wife. She held up to her end. It's time for you to do this same for her."

And with that Hermione and Harry walked off but just as they did Hermione felt herself smile, not because she was finally getting rid of Draco but because of what he said during the trail...

He would have left Astoria for her.

Suddenly, all of the past became a lot more real.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, so Hermione helped out and now had ended her "relationship" with Draco... or has she? Hmmmmm?<strong>

**Thoughts?**


	35. Chapter 35

**Well... I don't know what to say. It's been a while hasn't it. I have to admit I have shamelessly seen all your PM's and reviews asking when the next update will be and I... have been the worst at pleasing the few who read my stories. I'm on my hands and knees. I truly am sorry for the extreme delay and by writing an AN that's possibly a bigger delay since, I'm sure you're all just giddy to read on with the chapter. **

**I just want to say one more thing.**

**Two actually**

**It's good to be back  
><strong>**and  
><strong>**Don't kill me**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon'<strong>**s**** Blood**

Chapter Thirty-Five

ooo

"The witches and wizards of the magical jury find the accused not guilty of any of the crimes committed. However, we do find Astoria Greengrass criminally insane during the duration of these acts and require the hospitalization in order to treat and correct her if it is at all possible." A tiny round man with a protruding belly and squinting eyes, "She is required to be institutionalized for a full two years and have weekly check-ins for the remainder of the next five years. Ms. Greengrass you are required to check in St. Mungo's before spring ends. Please note if you try to run, we will catch you."

There was a collective sigh within the room. Even Draco slumped into his seat, relieved that the sentence wasn't as harsh as his mind tricked him into thinking. A couple of seconds ago, he was convinced that Astoria would be exiled and Draco would be the one thrown into Azkaban. The wait was unimaginable and just as painful as torture.

Astoria who was sitting in the middle of the courtroom, collapsed into lap, sobs escaping and echoing through the room. Draco knew he was expected to rush down to her side but he felt no need to. She had gotten a sentence, yes, but it was far better than anything involving Azkaban. Draco stood up, straighten himself adjusting his coat on his shoulders and slowly made his way out the courtroom, passing Daphne as he left. As the courtroom dissolved into the corridors Draco continued on his way until he was walking alone towards the lifts.

There were a couple of things on his mind. He doubted this was the last time he would see Astoria around. Although he was cold towards her at the moment, he still wanted to hear from her as the years went by. You can't cut marriage that easily, not after ten years being together. Apart from his crumbled marriage and the case of Astoria, he had to speak to the French Ministry Division in order to let him transfer back to England. He no longer wanted to stay there in his married home although he had fond memories of warm spring days out in the terrace watching dozens of dragonflies and humming birds flying lazily around the garden.

Draco smiled.

It was a beautiful garden. He was sure Hermione would have loved seeing a garden of that grandeur. And speaking of Hermione, Draco had to find a way to thank her. How could he not when she just helped him save a life? But then again, how could a simple thank you ever be enough?

"She has a child."

Draco paused, blinking at the empty air in front of him, he could see the lift from where he stood although he didn't understand why he had stopped.

Draco scowled and glanced behind him. It was Daphne. She hung on to the corridor wall as if it were her only support at the moment. Draco supposed it wasn't easy for Daphne to witness her sister on trial either but she didn't have to say nonsense. She was being quite irrational.

"What did you say?" Draco hissed.

Daphne closed her eyes, "She has a child."

"Don't be stupid. Who has a child?"

Daphne furrowed her brows at him.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about." Daphne bit her lip, "Do you really think she would wait around for you? You were married for goodness sakes."

"What do you know about Hermione that I don't?" Draco scoffed, unconvinced that Daphne knew something that he didn't. The idea was preposterous. They were friends after all. Something of that magnitude would not go unnoticed.

"It's still the truth." She responded, "I know, we _all _know that you harbored feelings for Hermione. That's understandable. But you can't deny it got in the way of your marriage and I suppose I can reason you wanting to go back to her but she _has _a child."

"Shoving your nose into other peoples business doesn't really suit you Daphne," Draco shook his head, "I think if Hermione had married anyone the entire wizarding world would have known about it. No doubt a child would have gotten the same attention."

Daphne sighed, "Would you listen? I ran into Hermione once, she was with a little girl that looked exactly like her. I couldn't deny the linage."

"Who is she with?" Draco suddenly demanded.

"I don't know!" She replied, "It was only Hermione and the girl. Maybe she found a muggle, I don't know. Either way Draco, it's clear she's moved on. Now why can't you? Why didn't you?"

Draco scoffed.

A child.

Hermione with a child.

He bore into Daphne's eyes, hoping to see some weakness, a sign, and sign that would assure him that she was bluffing. She had to be lying. Hermione wasn't the type of girl who would be stupid enough to have a child without the assurance of a man. She wouldn't. He wanted to believe it and he almost convinced himself until he saw that Daphne wasn't lying. He hadn't practice legetimancy but he couldn't help himself. Draco closed his eyes and probed inside her mind and he saw a brief flash of Hermione's surprised face and a split second of child. Draco could have dwell more into the memory but he quickly shut off.

Something inside him slow began painfully tearing. The truth finally sunk in. Perhaps that was the reason why Hermione stressed over their agreement. Did she not want him around in case he would do anything stupid that could endanger her own marriage? That didn't sound right. Was she even married? Draco knew that if there was someone else he would of heard of it, but then again, he hadn't heard of a child and Daphne was adamant there was one.

"How long have you known?" Draco asked, "About her? The child, I mean."

"Recently." Daphne pushed herself off the wall and approached him with wobbly steps, "But that aside, can you at least fulfill your last duties to Astoria. I know she might mean nothing to you now but can you at least be by her side at the moment. She'll really appreciate it."

Draco remained quiet.

"You've been together for years now," Daphne shrugged, "What's another week?"

Draco stretched out his hand towards Daphne who took it for support. His hard stare was quite intimidating but Daphne managed to challenge it, despite her weakening struggle. Daphne smiled weakly but her wide green eyes fell, her lids barely able to lift up their own weight. It was one of the reason's Draco loved Daphne as his sister-in-law. As much as she tried to hide it, her face was cruelly honest no matter the situation. Draco learned fast how to read her expressions and by doing so, he learned that Astoria wasn't much different from Daphne.

"Shall we go back inside to get Astoria?" Draco offered.

Daphne slowly nodded, "That's a good idea."  
>As Draco escorted Daphne back into the courtroom, Daphne squeezed his shoulder catching his attention.<p>

"Please tell her that we will be forever grateful." Daphne sighed, as if it were a struggled to say it out loud.

"Hmm?"

"Hermione." Daphne replied.

Draco didn't say a word but he did promise himself that he would one day go back to Hermione and thank her for her deeds, it's the least he could do.

ooo

_Two months later..._

Hermione felt an immense relief to know that Draco would no longer pop in like he used to, although she had began to wonder if all her work was only delaying the inevitable. Still, it felt nice to know that Jessa could play outside with Teddy now. It took Hermione a while to trust Draco, she even went as far as casting yet another charm around the perimeter to repel him, just in case.

Since it had been weeks since she's heard from him, she thought it would be nice to less lenient with Jessa. At least she found some enjoyment in seeing Jessa chasing after Teddy in the front lawn, while she climbed up a ladder by the window.

Andromeda was busy dusting out the rooms upstairs while Hermione took care of the laundry which was an enormous amount considering the size of the mansion. Still, it was a light pleasure for Hermione that she could finally fully open her windows without having to worry about a cold draft breezing through. It was finally warm enough to enjoy the air buzzing with life.

As Hermione reached to release the drapes for a dust beating, Andromeda swooped in to help.

"I don't understand why you insist on cleaning this entire house without magic." Andromeda sighed, waving her wand to assist Hermione. All drapes fluttered down to the floor in a giant pool around Hermione, who was a little annoyed that Andromeda just defeated her purpose of climbing the ladder.

"You know I fixed this home with almost no magic." Hermione pointed out as she jumped off the last steps.

"Almost." Andromeda laughed, "And if you were a muggle, I would understand but you're not and all those years of schooling are going to waste!"

Hermione sigh, "If I used magic it wouldn't take me half a day to finish up this house-"

Andromeda smiled, "Exactly."

Hermione sighed, "You're right. Maybe I should just finish up."

"You could use the extra time to play with Jessa outside." Andromeda smiled, "OR if you're still set on working… maybe working on that garden of yours might be nice. I know down at Mere they should be selling primroses and violets… wouldn't it be nice to have a nice patch of English bluebells by the front gates."

Hermione stood still, imagining all the lovely colors and scents it would bring to her manor. It was clear she was falling in love with the idea of a nice day of gardening but even that would have to require a walking trip to Mere and she didn't know if she was up to make a trip.

"Apparate, for Merlin's sake." Andromeda fussed, "It wouldn't take ten minutes if you did."

Hermione struggled with the idea but she also didn't want to leave Jessa behind for so long. Hermione nodded and quickly dashed around for her things. Before she knew it she was skipping outside, telling Jessa not to worry since she'll be back soon. It felt completely refreshing to step outside of the Manor. Hermione found herself stuck in a routine that hardly allowed her to do anything but teach Teddy since he was soon to start Hogwarts. She smirked at his choice of hair color, which as a spot light blue, comparable to the sky. Hermione looked up and in a blink of an eye she felt her body squeeze through space until she popped just in the outskirts of Mere, where she was sure nobody would have seen her.

If there was any doubts about leaving Jessa for a second, it was all gone when she picked up the scent of blossoming flowers. Hermione quickly hurried on her way towards the only flower market in town, Allen's, who was unknowingly a cousin of Neville. As far as Hermione knew, it was very often when she bumped into someone named Longbottom.

"Hermione!"

Hermione beamed at Allen who was a jolly man slightly older than her with a protruding belly that mocked his own wife's fertile belly.

"Allen!" Hermione smiled back, "It's good to see you!"

"How are things down in the valley?" He asked, "It's bin a couple of months that we haven't seen you around. How's the tike?"

Hermione shrugged, "Oh well, she's a lot smarter than I wish she would be."

"Eh, tell me 'bout it." He chuckled, "Mine's 'bout to pop and he kicks every time he hears my voice. The bugger already hates me!"

Hermione laughed and eyed passed him. He quickly took notice and began introducing Hermione to their selection of a wide selection of poppies and daisies. Hermione didn't leave the seeds and bulb sections untouched. She reach out for summer flowers like orchids and roses. It wasn't until Hermione was about to pay for all the items when she noticed a small packet of seeds labeled Snapdragons.

"How much for the snapdragon seeds?" Hermione asked.

Allen glanced over his spectacles and sighed, "I'll throw it in free of charge."

"Free?"

Allen let out a sheepish chuckle, "Actually those seeds have been on tha' shelf for years now. I'm not sure if they'll sprout. You know how some say seeds can be dormant fer years, I don't wanna risk it, ya know. Feels like I've cheated costumers if they didn't know I'm sellin' them old seeds."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you."

Hermione stepped out with her purchase in a big wicker basket, over flowing with flowers, and decided to take the walk back home. It had been a while since she's actually appreciated a long walk back to her manor. The fields that bordered most of the path were now slightly over grown with the first green grass of the season. Even the slightest breeze would ripple through the grass like a big waving flag. The sun was high in the sky, warming up her pale winter skin. It was a nice breath of fresh air to enjoy.

It almost made her forgot about Draco.

Almost.

Just when she thought that she could have one day without thinking much about it, he infiltrated her mind like a rapid warmth. It wasn't the sun or the warmth of walking in the rays. She felt her cheeks flush in anger because she couldn't help thinking of him. She mentally scolded herself.

There was no reason to linger on him. Even if he had given her Jessa, she didn't need him around. Hermione didn't need to complicate her life even more.

_What's so complicated? He's no longer married and the truth is out, what more is there to settle besides the child?_

Hermione scowled at her own thoughts. Truth be told, she couldn't help but to think about it ever since she last saw Draco, but how would she even bring up the subject of his daughter?

That not something that any casual conversation can lead into. Hermione sighed and continued walking. Her home was almost in sight. She could almost make out the edges of her gate as well as a long lean figure standing right at the entrance.

Hermione's senses heightened.

Her slow trot became a jog which grew into a sprint. Her dropped her basket somewhere carelessly behind her. As Hermione neared, she saw the figure drop to their knees and the clear view of Jessa curiously stared at the stranger right in front of her.

Hermione found it hard to breath suddenly but she did get one name out of her lips, one she didn't expect to ever have to explain.

_"Astoria."_

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>I know... _I knoooow. _ Alll this time and all I gave you was a filler chapter? To be honest, this chapter gave me so many problems which is the reason why I put this chapter off for the exact reason that I didn't want is to be a filler. But then the more I weight my options and then forgot about this fic, I realized that no matter what it's going to end up being a filler chapter and I need it to post it if I wanted to move on...**

**ahhh**

**Anyways.**

**Review?**


	36. Chapter 36

**Just to prove that this wasn't a one time thing. Aha! Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter... mistakes and all.**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dragon'<strong>**s**** Blood**

Chapter Thirty-Six

ooo

_Hermione wave at Astoria as she walked down her newly planted garden, pass the front gates and then suddenly disappearing into thin air. Even Hermione was having a hard time that she spent so many hours with Astoria without saying much between them. She wasn't sure how they even migrated to the garden and proceeded to plant and seed the small bare patches across the front lawn. Teddy and Jessa resumed playing after witnessing Hermione hesitantly accept Astoria within the perimeters of her home. _

_Hermione kept a close eye on Astoria through most of the day but nothing in her face indicated any interest other than concentrating on digging small holes. Hermione wasn't sure to feel alright about it or if she be even more alarmed but as the day dragged on and the sunset, the night bugs came out to to play, chirping and buzzing Hermione let down her guards bit by bit._

_Astoria smiled, clapping her hands together dusting her hands off. She groaned as she sat down at the steps of the front doors of the manor. She proudly chuckled, as she looked out at their work. Hermione slowly sunk beside her. Jessa and Teddy long gone for their dinner that Astoria refused to have._

_"Are you sure?" Hermione asked again._

_Astoria nodded. _

_"I should be going." Astoria shook her head smiling, "I bet I have the entire hospital on edge because I haven't shown yet."_

_Hermione pressed her lips together, unsure of whether to laugh or not. _

_"She's a very lovely thing." Astoria said outloud, sighing. Hermione could only imagine what she was thinking of if it wasn't attacking her family, then it must be of the family she always wanted to have, if it wasn't for her._

_"I'm very sorry, Astoria." Hermione gulped._

_"You shouldn't be." She waved off, "There's worse things than broken marriages, right? It's not like that challenges our exisitance, right? Like before? It's just a bump in the road."_

_Hermione sourly looked at the ground, "An awfully big bump..."_

_Astoria laughed, "I should get going now."_

_Astoria rose to her feet and began walking off and just before she reached the gates she turned around._

_"Take care of her!" She shouted, "God knows Draco will have a fit when he finds out." _

_Hermione couldn't help but to laugh as she waved at Astoria, just before she disappeared. The light jokes were a nice touch to the very awkward encounter but nonetheless, Hermione was glad that it seems that no hard feelings were being held. Just before she slipped back in her home to have a nice meal with her family, the light feelings disappeared. It was suddenly replaced by fear and before Hermione knew it, she skipped dinner in order to pack for Jessa. _

ooo

George smiled down at Jessa who grabbed his hand tightly with her own small hand. She sipped on a cup of lemonade that Hermione had gave her before she handed Jessa over to George that day. Jessamine would hop and skip every several steps causing her green raincoat hood to fall off her head several times.

Those several times gave him a heart attack due to Hermione's orders but nonetheless, George was glad Jessa was bright and happy at the moment. There were several times he witnessed her sulking and glowering at people and it reminded him of Draco.

They walked down the cobbled path of Diagon Alley, it was slow paced as it always with the exception of the summer months which they were now nearing. And as Happy as Jessa was to visit her uncle, the day did not reflect that. It had been threatening to rain all day but despite the weather, Uncle George knew what kids liked.

He knew exactly were to take her: the owl emporium. He knew she was probably too young for her own owl but children loved animals. George was sure she would love it. Plus, there was nothing wrong with spoiling his favorite niece a little.

"Uncle George." She piped.

"Yes?"

"Mum said that I get to spend the night in the attics of your shop." Jessa nodded, "Do I get a bed?"

George chuckled, "Yes but it's not as big or comfortable as the one you have."

George began to feel uncertain that his living accommodation will be adequate enough for Jessa. For goodness sake, she was half a Malfoy after all and she was living in a big manor. George had nothing more to give her than the simple things his family owned.

All while arguing this in his own head, Jessa looked up at him and tugged his arm.

"And a pillow too?" She asked, her grey eyes rounding out in awe.

She looked so innocent George couldn't help but to squat down to her level and ruffle her blonde hair that was exposed again. George replace the hood once more and smiled.

"Yes, a pillow and a warm blanket." George assured her.

Jessa sighed out, "Oh. James told me that I'll sleep on the floor under the kitchen table. The bed isn't underneath the table, is it?"

"No." George closed his eyes, "Don't listen to James. He's a twat of a fellow."

"Twat isn't a nice word." Jessa informed.

"Ah yes, then I suppose I should not use it." George sighed, "I'm such a twat."

Jessa giggled.

"Why is that funny?" George crossed his arms, "Are you agreeing I'm a twat?"

Jessa's giggle began to take a life of it's own. Her small hands flew to her mouth as George began to tickle her neck.

"Little Jessamine thinks I'm a twat?" George gasped, "What will mummy think about this?"

Jessa squeezed her eyes shut, "I never said anything!"

"Oh alright." George said, "Before we go anywhere, it's getting a bit chilly let's get the scarf on you. One thing about spring is that there's always those freezing days when it's warming up. I don't want you to catch a cold now, would we?"

Jessa shook her head as George took out a Navy blue scarf from inside his light jacket. She bend over slightly to have George wrap it around her neck. Once it was neatly bunched around her neck, George stood back up and pointed over to the owls.

"Look there Jessa," George said, "How 'bout we go look at some owls?"

Jessa beamed.

ooo

Draco browsed through the book aisles, looking for nothing in particular. Something about books themselves reminded him of Hermione and the time they spent days fixing up her unreasonably large library. He had a multitude of errands to do in Diagon Alley but he had been able to avoid every single thing on his list since his arrival. He wasn't sure what to do with his life at the moment. He wasn't depressed but he certainly wasn't happy. The grey middle from the two extreme's had him at a lost of thoughts and it certainly made him question exactly who he was.

He was no longer Draco Malfoy, the death eater and pure blood extraordinaire, he just felt like another wizard, just another face.

"Excuse me? Can you please hand me that book, sir?" Said an extremely high-pitched voice.

Draco looked around only to find a green tiny human standing at his feet. Draco took a step back and analyzed the little critter.

He couldn't see much of her face. The rest of her was clothed in a muted green raincoat with white stockings, and black shiny rainboots.

Draco scoffed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "What's a child like you doing in a book store alone? Isn't your mum around?"

"I'm here with my uncle." She responded. Draco caught the narrowing of her grey eyes, beaming a glare at him, "What's a man like you doing in a book store alone? Isn't your mum around?"

Draco did a double take at the fierce little girl. She couldn't be older than 5 years old and she was throwing clever insults at him. Even insults that aimed right at his broken soul. Draco cleared his throat and scanned around. He didn't see anybody except for the familiar red-headed George Weasley who was asking the counter lady about a shipment.

"What book did you want?" Draco mumbled out.

"The Adventures of Bobbity Wobbity and Sir Galvin." She said.

Draco looked around and made a face. They were in the Guidebook section, any children's books had to be upstairs. Everybody knew the main floor was meant for miscellaneous schoolbooks. Draco let out a dry chuckle and shrugged, "There isn't a Bobbity Wobbity book around here."

"Yes there is." She shot out.

"No, there isn't."

She shot him a piercing look before reaching up towards a shelf that was way past her grasp, "It's right next to the Guidebook of Everything You Wanted to Know About Dragon's and More. See? It's blue isn't it? It has a photo of a fat fluffy bunny, doesn't it?"

Draco was amazed that she even recognized the Dragon guidebook. Did she know how to read already? Even if her assumption was a bit off, Draco took down the book she was point at and showed it to her. Draco could see it in her eyes that she was disappointed.

It was not a fat fluffy bunny like she hoped for, instead, it was a moving picture of rare Pygmy Puffs that zoomed in and out of the cover. She looked annoyed. At this point Draco found her amusing.

She grabbed the book in her delicate hands and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What's a Pygmy Puff?" She asked, hesitantly.

Draco found it funny that she hadn't given up on the book despite it not being what she hoped for.

Draco kneeled down and opened the book for her, she quietly let him explain what the creatures were and what the book was about. Draco found it quiet odd that a 4 year old girl had the patience to listen to him for a full five minutes. Then again, Draco didn't have a lot of experience with children to know what their attention span was. But what was stranger to him was how familiar she felt to him. Even if all he could see was her grey eyes, it felt like he was staring at someone familiar, like his father.

After his explanation she remained unmoved for a second before making a face. She hand the book back to him and begged him to hand her the book of Dragon's. Once the replacement book was in her petite hands, she beamed.

"Uncle George!" She shouted, "I think I found a book!"

Hers cheeks rose, giving the impressing that she was smiling underneath her scarf. She quickly left without thanking him. Draco let out a questioning hum. So she _was _George's niece. He narrowed his eyes waiting to see George's reaction. He witnessed him looking down at the girl, stopping his conversation with the counter lady, and smiling down at the little girl. Draco wondered to which Weasley brother she belonged. He had to admit; he didn't find anything Weasley about her. George scooped the girl in his arms and sat her on the countertop, making the lady squeal with excitement.

Draco moved around, lurking behind books and shelves, trying not to draw attention to himself. The girl was showing off her new book pick to her Uncle George when he gave a loving chuckle at her and unwrapped the scarf around her face.

Draco nearly walked into a bookshelf. He bumped his shoulder into the corner that caused a shooting pain. His mouth flew open as he held back his gasp. His slight commotion began getting the attention of the counter lady so he grabbed the biggest book he found and covered his face with it.

It took a full ten seconds to have the counter lady lose interest in him; while Draco was thankful for her lack of curiosity he remained aloof.

Upon seeing her face, Draco wished he could have spent more time in Daphne's memory. The small round face was as soft and pure looking as porcelain and a nose that was small but a little angular that stuck up a little. Her tiny lips formed a perfect cupid's bow and although they were a bit thin, they were still shapely. Even with all the distinct features of the little girl, Draco looked at her eyes the most because although the color was off, the shape and the tuff of thick eyelashes completed the face that entirely belonged to one unmistakable person: Hermione.

Hermione did have a child and although she was a little bigger than he had expected, the facts were right in his face. She had moved on, like Daphne had said, like Hermione said. He was the only one that insisted there was something there, perhaps Hermione found someone who was more suited for her...

But then again, he hadn't heard anything about Hermione marrying someone else or being with someone else. Something didn't add up and he wasn't sure why he was suddenly so invested in trying to find out, but it certainly gave him a drive.

He inched closer listening in on the conversation.

"...we were there for about a minute when Jessa decided that she rather chase around a street cat than look at all the owls." George sighed, "After all I planned and she chooses to play with a mangy cat."

"It was brown." Jessa piped.

The counter lady smiled, looking absolutely enthralled with Jessa.

"Was it now?"

She nodded, "And it let me touch its tail."

"Made her wash her hands right after," George shook his head, " 'Mione's gotten a bit worried so she left her with me. Astoria paid her a visit, a couple of days ago. That women is as crazy as a bat, Dear. So we get to have little Jessa just in case that other nut case comes around. What time is it? I think I've got to get going. Lunch should be almost ready. You should close for lunch soon, dear. I've got some meat pies that I left in the oven."

"What else did you make?" Jessa asked as George picked her up and placed her down on the floor. He made sure to wrap the scarf around her once again and he paid for the book Jessa had picked out.

"Pumpkin casserole." George announced, "See you soon, Angelina."  
>Angelina sighed and pointed to the back, "I've things to sort out in the back, I'll be there soon."<p>

George nodded and began for the door saying his farewells, Jessa copied him making sure she stretched her arm high enough for Angelina to see her waving good bye as they walked by the display window.

ooo

"Name?"

"Draco Malfoy?"

"Reason for visit?"

"I came to unjoin my vault value."

The scrawny goblin looked up. His black beady eyes, glazed and unmoved, flicked down to Draco who impatiently looked back at him. His lips were turn down into a scowl and his foot had the urge to tap as loudly as it could. He had been in and out of Diagon Alley for three days trying to fix the last of his divorce before Astoria admitted herself. Still, he had trouble admitting that his entire life was suddenly not what he envisioned. He knew he should have known better than spending most of his days in the Leaky Cauldron, abandoning all his errands but the encounter with Hermione's daughter suddenly, had him rushing around Diagon Alley, completing his errands.

The goblin's ears perked up when a twisted smile stretched across his face.

"Is that so?"

Draco force out a smile and glared at him.

"Will you hurry and do you job?" Draco snapped, "Or I will withdraw all my savings."

"No, no, no." The goblin quickly said, "That won't be necessary. It's only a few easy questions in order to estimate each of spouses vault value."

"Split it down the middle." Draco dryly said.

"That's not how it works."

"_Split _it down the _middle_." He hissed, "Or I'll take my money elsewhere."

The goblin gulped. It was the first time Draco has seen those conniving malicious creatures sweating up a storm but then again, even as much as Draco was use to being wealthy it was nothing compared to the love of wealth that goblins had.

"Can we have a signature?" The goblin asked, "For record purposes."

Draco rolled his eyes and took up the feather that was handed to him. He skimmed over the small statement on the parchment and signed his name.

He calmly placed the feather on the counter and turned on his heel to walk away.

"Mr. Malfoy!" The goblin shouted, "Is there anything else we could do for you."

Draco continued walking until he reached the cool air of the outside world. He was finally free of all the legal terms of the divorce. Draco looked at the time and decided to spend the remainder of his day to visit Astoria, that would make her happy, especially since she just admitted herself. That would focus his mind. But even after finializing the split at Grinngots, his wandering increase. He wasn't sure what he did most of those two lost hours but he somehow found himself in front of the Leaky Cauldron, yet again. Draco sneered.

Yes, visiting Astoria would be nice.

Draco briskly walked away looking for a spot to disapperate. He was so focused on finding a spot that he hadn't notice a small little body sitting at the side of the pavement, until a musical hum reached his ears and abruptly stopped his pace.

He turned to find that same little girl reading her book outside at the foot of the entrance of the Joke Shop. The same green raincoat. Scarf and all. Draco glanced around the abandon streets of Diagon Alley weighing his options. He had a strange feeling he shouldn't be probing around Hermione's family since she forbidden him to ever see her again, but technically… this little girl wasn't her. A gnawing gut feeling told him that maybe he should leave to see Astoria before he caused any trouble but maybe that gnaw was telling him something else.

So what else was Draco to do but to finally appraoch the little girl again.

* * *

><p><strong>Review?<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

**Well, well, well... I'm a little ashamed that after ****_the _****longest break I'm just updating. I have no words to make up for the wait (that is if anyone is still waiting). And even worse that I left off in a cliffhanger. Sorry?**

**Anyways... Enjoy?**

**I hope?**

**Maybe?**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Dragon's Blood<span>**

Chapter Thirty-Seven  
>(Part One)<p>

The child's legs were slightly spread out, propping up the book that was clearly larger than she was. She was so immerse in her book, Draco doubted she had heard or seen him standing by her. He kneeled down and got a good look of that face again framed by the hood of her raincoat. She was definitely Hermione's.

"Do you like your book?" Draco asked.

She looked up and nodded, "I do."

"Did your uncle buy that book for you?" He asked.

"Yes." She calmly responded.

"Ah." Draco nodded, "Your uncle is really nice."

She looked up for the first time and gave a slight giggle, "He's funny too."

Her gaze didn't last long. She promptly went back to her book humming a song Draco vaguely knew. A rythme?

"Is he your mum's brother?" Draco asked, already knowing his answer.

"No." She shook her head, her eyes glued to her book.

"Your dad then?"

Draco tried not to lean towards her in anticipation of finding out more about her father.

She puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, "I don't know. Mum doesn't really talk about him."

Draco's eyebrows rose, "Why not? Isn't he around?"

"No." She sighed, "Stupid Potter makes fun of me for not having a father."

Draco smirked rethinking of his past hatred of Harry, "Potter? Who's Potter?"

She scowled, "James. He's a giant twat. He teases me and calls me names, he even pushed me once."

Draco suddenly felt her anger. Potter _was_ a stupid twat. What was he doing bothering Hermione's daughter like that? Draco made a mental note to notify Harry about his son's stupidities against her. How could Harry raise nuisances like himself?

"I thought you had a father." Draco said to himself, curiously pondering how this little girl came about. She certainly had to be magical. "Everyone has a father."

She closed her book and shrugged, "I haven't had one all my life but I have Teddy and Grandma 'Meda. Mum says it's because I didn't need one."

"Didn't need one?" Draco repeated and smiled, "You're a very interesting girl, like your mother. What's you name by the way?"

"Jessamine."

Draco smiled, "I'm Draco."

She smiled and handed her book to Draco. Her grey eyes swooped over him and then locked eyes with him.

"I like your hair." She smiled.

"Hair?" Draco questioned, "That's a rather odd thing to like."

Jessamine reached out to pat his head, "I haven't seen anybody with hair like yours."

Draco shrugged, "It's a family trait."

"It looks like mine." Jessamine nodded, "Teddy can turn his hair like mine but he doesn't like to. He likes having his hair blue."

Draco paused for a full moment before narrowing his eyes, "What?"

"Teddy can change his hair color. Mum says that not a lot of people can do that but Teddy can. I wish he could just have his hair like mine..."

Jessamine kept talking. Draco couldn't listen to her calm collective speech. It was muffled out the moment his eyes landed on top of her head that was covered by the hood of her coat and a floppy thin beret.

He hesitated at first but his hand reached up to her head, Jessamine stopped talking as his hand rested on her beret. He looked into her eyes, _his eyes_, and slipped off the beret.

A tumble of long platinum blonde plaited hair fell out. He stared at her.

Even after she had lost interest in him and walked off to follow another kitten close by, Draco studied at her. It was almost undeniable.

"Jessamine, how old are you?" Draco asked.

"I'll be 5 at the end of September." She piped, "Look! He's got a black little nose! Help me catch him!"

Draco's eyes darted around as he rose to his feet again. He was calculating over and over again.

Her age.

Her eyes.

Her _hair_.

The way she has an early onset of a hatred for a Potter.

Her glares.

Her insults.

At that moment, the door open. George swooped in to check up on Jessamine and was startled to find Draco there sitting on the streets looking like a ton of bricks just fell on him. George eyes looked down at Jessamine and he nervously glance at Draco unable to keep eye contact.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, raising his voice.

Draco gulped and threw him a glare, "You knew."

George began to reach for Jessamine to pull her inside but she immediately began to whine. She had no intention to go back inside with her uncle.

"I'll buy you another book." He bribed.

"I don't want another book!" She cried, "I want to be outside!"

Draco wasted no time in seeing what George did or said. He quickly apparated away, feeling a tiny hand clutched in his own. He needed an explanation and he's was determined to get it.

ooo

Hermione felt a jolt in her heart. Her hand flew to her chest, dropping the freshly washed green sheets that fitted Jessa's bed. While her daughter was gone, Hermione decided to redo Jessa's room as a pleasant surprise. All her delicate lace and white furniture was gone. Hermione decided to move in a mahogany bed frame and dresser. Her walls were painted a silvery lavender color and a rug was rolled out for a small area that would have a small wicker table and chair set for her tea parties. Her bed spread was a fluffy and thick white comforter that was broidered with tiny interweaving purple flowers. There was equally fluffy lavender and white pillows to accompany the comforter and it was all ready to adorn her new bed, just as soon as Hermione fitted her sheets first.

Hermione pushed back the jolt in her chest. It was a rather odd thing to experience but she supposed her efforts in changing her room was tiring her out. Still, with that thought in hand, Hermione began to panic over the thought that she might have heart problems already.

Nonsense.

Hermione blew a bit of hair stray hair off her face to pick up the sheets she dropped. Her mind trailed off to Jessa who was staying at George for the mean time. Thinking of her little girl Hermione smiled painfully, feeling like every fiber in her body missed Jessa. Hermione couldn't fathom the day she would have to leave for Hogwarts.

She hugged her sheets tightly and breathed in the light clean scent before flicking her wand to do the work for her. She nodded approvingly and began for the door only to run into a lean figure.

"Andromeda!" Hermione exclaimed, "Have you finished Teddy's room?"  
>Andromeda kneaded her hands together nervously, "Hermione… there's someone out there."<p>

"Oh." She responded, without much thought.

"You ought to see for yourself." Andromeda insisted.

Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously and without another word she stalked off. In truth, Hermione had a clue as to who was outside. She doubted all the worst and refused to let her imagination get the best of her.

On the contrary, she flew down the stairs in a haste and threw the doors open. As her eyes laid upon Draco, she knew she was in for some questions. The only thing working in Hermione's favor is that she already had an explanation: Astoria is crazy. She knows nothing of what she's talking about. Hermione nodded to herself. That should do it.

But as he came into focus, it was clear to see that he wasn't alone. He was clutching to a tiny delicate hand that belonged to her daughter. And seeing them for the first time together, Hermione's heart sank at the obvious similarities.

The blonde hair was a given but they even shared the cold dead stares and lean body type.

Draco had his hands shoved down his pants as he stood there, lean and towering over Hermione who was still stuck at her doorsteps.

"Jessa?" She shouted, "Come here."

Quietly, Jessa followed her orders and promptly walked to Hermione. Hermione didn't take her eyes off Draco who's gaze were stuck on Jessa.

"Mum?" Jessa looked up at Hermione, "Is he a friend?"

"Go inside Jessa." Hermione commanded.

"Am I in trouble?" Jessa asked.

"No." Hermione stared down Draco, "Inside."

Jessa sighed and let her light feet stomp her way inside. She closed the door behind her and Hermione took it as a cue to cross her arms.

"Can I help you?" Hermione shouted, "I was under the impression that we had an agreement."

"Can't I visit an old friend?" He shouted back.

Hermione gritted her teeth and looked away feeling the inevitable burn of her cheeks. She was altogether upset, angry, and of course ashamed that she had been discovered.

Draco smiled and shrugged nonchalantly, "I thought this would be a good exception."  
>Hermione was somewhat surprised to see him cool and collective. She bit her lip and glanced around.<p>

"Do you mind taking off the charm to let me in the perimeters of your home or do I have to keep yelling to maintain a conversation?" He flashed a smile.

Hermione hesitated but realized if she fended him off, there would only be more wood to fuel his fire. Still, she had no idea what was to come and that thought was enough to drive her mad.

Although she wasn't stupid in hoping that Draco would never find out, she never really imagined the day it would come nor that it would possibly be today. With one last cold look, Hermione removed the spells with a flick of her wand.

Draco took a pause before stepping in and calmly walked up to her. As he walked past her to enter her manor, he looked down at her giving her the most devilish look she's ever seen.

"Would you like some tea and scones?" Hermione offered, closing the door behind her.

"You wouldn't have pumpkin juice, would you?" Draco asked, watching Jessa and Teddy zoom by him as they chased each other. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Andromeda?" Hermione called out.

She emerged from the second floor, anxiously looking for a sign in Hermione to cue to worry as well.

"Yes?" She asked once she reached the first floor.

"Would you mind making some pumpkin juice?" Hermione asked, "I think we're fresh out."

"No problem." She nodded. She called out for Teddy and Jessa and whisked away into the kitchen to make pumpkin juice together.

Hermione led Draco into the kitchen as well while Andromeda and the children worked quietly on the juice. .

She found it extremely uncomfortable and awkward to have him around but she refused to give him any hints that might clue him in on Jessa, despite her standing a few feet away.

"What brings you here?" Hermione asked.

Draco blinked at her before glancing at the blonde little girl. He pressed his lips together.

"I'm just surprised that you have a daughter." Draco cleared his throat. Still no sign of him about to explode, none that Hermione can tell at least.

Hermione nodded stiffly, "I do."  
>They stared at each other in silence until Andromeda placed two cups of pumpkin juice in front of them. She backed away quickly, taking Teddy and Jessa with her again.<p>

Hermione raised her eyebrows, "What made you steal my daughter from George?"

Draco smiled, "I thought she would like to see her mum again."

Hermione glanced down at her pumpkin juice.

"Who's her father?" Draco asked lightly. There was not an inch of prodding in his voice, only a simple question Hermione had trouble admitting out loud.

"What's it to you?" She avoided.

Draco closed his eyes slowly and sunk back into his chair. He stared blankly at Hermione for a long stretch and it almost felt like he was looking right through her. Hermione gulped and took a small sip of her juice to sooth her dry throat.

"How long did you plan on keeping her from me?" Draco asked softly.

Hermione's chin quivered and she clenched her jaw to keep the tears from falling.

"I would have moved to the other side of the world." She softly admitted, "Just to make sure you would never know."

Draco looked taken aback from her response.

"Wow." He shook his head, "Why?"

Hermione finally looked up at his grey eyes there were soft and round much like Jessa's. She looked away in disgust.

"Why complicate an already complicated situation?" Hermione shrugged.

"What's complicated about it?" Draco narrowed his eyes, "She's mine isn't she?"

"You were married." Hermione persisted, "You have no idea the scandal-"

"I know what it means. You think I'm unaware of what has been exposed already?" Draco furrowed his brows, "So we-"

"No," Hermione interrupted, "There is no _we._"

"There was." Draco glared, "And that child is glaring evidence that we shared-"

"Stop." Hermione begged, "Please don't."

Draco broke down and snickered, "I don't understand what this is all about."

Hermione felt a blush creep up her face.

"I don't understand." Draco shook his head, "For the past… five years the only thing I wished for was a child when all this time I had one. Why couldn't I have known?"

"Any ruin your marriage?" Hermione shrugged, "My wedded life was taken away from me, I didn't want the same for Astoria."

Draco scoffed, "Please, my marriage was bound to fail with or without you and I never thought that you would be so fond of Astoria to think of her."

"I don't." Hermione snapped.

"Then?" Draco crossed his arms, waiting for a real answer.

Hermione couldn't think of anything. It was irritating that she always had a logical answer for everything, except for this and the way Draco was looking at her, only meant that he could read her like an open book and she hated that.

"So," Draco cleared his throat, "Where does that leave us?"

"Us?" Hermione repeated. She groaned inwardly hoping that he still wasn't hoping that they could be together.

Draco nodded, "Don't you think that we-"

"Absolutely not." Hermione scoffed.

"Why not?" Draco asked, "You have something of mine."

"Jessa isn't yours." Hermione lied.

Draco gave her that cold look and she settled down.

"You have my…" Draco looked away disgusted at his own words, "My _heart_."

Hermione's gasp was caught at her throat. She shook her head insistently and rushed to her feet. Her untouched pumpkin juice was suddenly being pour down the drain as she rushed around and talked incoherently.

"Is that what this is all about?" Draco set his jaw, "All this."

Hermione paused and turned to him, "What is?"

"That you love me as well." Draco pointed out.

Hermione gulped and took a step back when she saw Draco rise to his feet.

"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione sputtered out.

"You were bitter I was with Astoria." Draco said, opening wounds Hermione never realized she had, "You hated that you ended with a child of your worst enemy. How could poor logical Hermione ever been stupid enough to make that mistake? Or even worst, that you actually developed something more than hatred for me."

Hermione pressed her lips together and wished with all her might she would drop dead with her glare.

"Which one is it 'Mione?" Draco shouted, "Which out of all the reason did you keep me from you? From her?"

Hermione stormed away. She didn't want to face all at once and although she had no choice she still found it really easy to walk away. Draco, of course, followed her out, shouting at her. She tried to block his voice out but she couldn't. She heard every single word he said and when she had enough she whipped around to face him, her fist clenched tightly.

She could feel her face was red and hot but she held her breath and let him have it.

"I'm sorry!" She yelled, causing a rare stillness to spread through the manor.

Her hands immediately combed through her hair in desperation, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I hate you so much and it confuses me. I don't know why I tolerate you at all like a friend, I don't know why I feel so much around you, and I don't know why I kept her from you. I don't have a straight answer. Anything I reasoned as logical doesn't make sense anymore. Don't ask me why. Please don't."

Draco nodded once and took a step back.

"I suppose this is enough for one night." Draco cleared his throat.

Hermione nodded as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaand it shall end there. I feel like if I didn't stop there it would be an overwhelming long chapter and an even more overwhelming conversation between Draco and Hermione. So... yes. I hope that was well worth the wait. I'm not entirely too thrilled it the chapter wrote out to be but I don't think there would be a lot of screaming or yelling, much less a short explanation, couple of tears and then a happily ever after. I suppose it's as close to the characters that I could make them. <strong>

**SO what did you think? Review?**

**Yes?**

**I'm back aren't I?**


End file.
